How do you showcase a symphony of lights from a beloved brand using paper?
That was the riddle presented to Structural Graphics earlier this year when Audi of America’s agency of record, PHD Media, tapped Meredith Corporation to create a truly unique magazine insert in DEPARTURES Magazine. According to Don Stone, Meredith Corporations’ Senior Operations Manager and lead for this project, the Structural Graphics team “immediately came to mind.”
Not only did the insert need to excite and grab the attention of Audi’s target consumers; it also needed to highlight the “innovative and elegant” lighting experience of the new Audi A8.
“We designed the lighting package around the photography from Venables Bell & Partners, the creative agency for Audi,” said Ethan Goller, President of Structural Graphics. “We used 49 LEDs firing in exactly the same sequence as the A8.”
Readers of the magazine also receive a faux key fob, which has functioning lock and unlock buttons.
“By clicking the key fob lock or unlock button, you could experience the incredible A8 lighting sequence greeting you as you approach the car,” Goller said. “Great photography, combined with an elegant print treatment, high-end paper stocks and the lighting package we created, Departures Magazine gave the luxury and premium feel the Audi A8 demands.”
The record-breaking number of LED’s SG developed to mimic the Audi A8’s unique lighting design animation, along with producing the remote control faux key fob used to trigger the display lights is a one-of-a-kind experience that has never been done before.
Structural Graphics, which has been in the business for more than 42 years, is no stranger to using cutting-edge technology in its clients’ interactive print designs. In fact, this past summer, an ad in Instyle Magazine for Toyota created by Saatchi & Saatchi in partnership with Structural Graphics featured a heart rate monitor, sound module and pulsing lights. Another ground-breaking, never been done before technology.
Shin Wakabayashi, one of the paper engineers who worked on the Audi insert, talked about how he and his team help to enhance client print communications through the use of paper.
“Experimenting with it, whether it’s drawing on it or cutting into it or folding it, that’s when I start to see possibilities,” he said. “There’s a million different ways to create something, whether it’s flat or it’s dimensional. There’s a lot of shapes and forms and movements that you can make out of paper.”
In the world of marketing, you’ve probably heard the old standby, “show, don’t tell”. But what if you could do both?
Simply put, it’s an effective tool for communication. With VPA, not only do you get the tactile enjoyment of print, but you also get the action. This allows you to create a more holistic experience for your customers and prospects because you are able to provide them with a variety of touch points where they can engage with your brand.
VPA is an attention-grabber. Capturing the attention of your audience is one of the most important parts of marketing your products and services. But it’s also one of the most difficult. Many of us are so overwhelmed by the volume of emails we receive, as they only add more to the “digital clutter”. If you want to get your audience’s attention, you’ve got to deliver your information in a way that will engage – sending a printed brochure with an embedded video screen is the sure fire way to do just that!
It pulls at the heartstrings. Fusing video with print opens up more opportunities for your messaging to resonate with your audience and for them to forge a connection with you. The combination of visuals and sound, and copy work together to create a powerhouse emotional experience if done right.
Video is perceived to be more valuable than text alone. It’s no secret that video is often much more labor intensive and expensive to produce. So, when you decide to share a video, your audience is almost guaranteed to notice. Because of this, people will often give you more time, more contact information and even pay more for your product or service.
It’s a clear winner. Think for a moment: What kind of learner are you? For most of us, we’re visual learners and then about a third of the population considers themselves auditory. So, why compromise? VPA can ensure that your brand messaging can resonate with all types of learners because the information is simultaneously delivered verbally and visually. Aside from being exceptionally powerful, this also means there’s less chance they’ll misunderstand or misinterpret your message.
SleekPeeks®
Lincoln Video Mailer
Disco Ball Invitation
Dish Network Pop Up Cube
This Book is a Planetarium
Audi Pop-Up Brochure
Aetna used this dynamic video brochure to send information about its “smarter” healthcare solutions to consumers. The inside of the brochure featured a video screen with 6 buttons underneath it. By pressing each button, consumers could watch a video and learn more about each of the different solutions offered by Aetna.
T-CAAN is one of Canada’s oldest and most extensive networks of independent advertising, marketing and communication agencies. Information Packaging of Canada used this video handout at a recent T-CAAN event in Calgary. The mechanism they used was the Extendo. When you pull out the bottom panel, another panel automatically slides out from the top featuring a video about Information Packaging.
Nationwide Financial went “all out” and used this video invitation for its 2016 Nationwide Sales Invitational, a high-end event that rewards an elite group of advisors for their life and annuity sales volume and sales potential with Nationwide. The inside of this elegant mailer featured a video about the event complete with play/pause and volume controls.
