Paper Mate “Bring Life To Words” Print Ads
"All Thumbs"
"Instant v. Timeless"
"Just Words"
In 2009, Paper Mate asked our team to help refresh their venerable brand, and inject a “value chic” sensibility that would help transcend their reputation as “the blue stick pen company.”
Pairing subtle humor with sweet emotional payoffs, these concepts are rooted in the insight that, in the age of digital communications, there’s no still substitute for the personal connection created by a handwritten note.
The target audience for this campaign was contemporary mothers and working women.
Wilson WnG Print Ads
"Serena"
"Federer"
These ads were developed to support the launch Wilson’s newest racquet technology, a radical design with cantilevered leaf springs around the frame that allow the string bed to flex when a ball is struck.
Wilson showed us the unnamed prototype, explained the benefits of the design, and then asked us to name and brand the racquet that would soon be in the hands of Roger Federer and Serena Williams.
But, you know, no pressure or anything.
Fortunately, we found the solution to our challenge in the racquet’s design itself — specifically in the leaf springs, which suggested “wings” on the sides of the racquet.
To appreciate the strength of this campaign, you must first understand two key attributes of serious tennis players: they tend to be insanely competitive, and they’re always looking for new tricks to improve their game.
Applying those insights, we dubbed the new racquet the WnG, building an identity around next-generation “Wilson Nano Graphite” technology that promised to help players “elevate their game” and “play above the competition.”
The idea lent itself readily to both inspirational copy and eye-catching art direction. The WnG concept is a natural metaphor for the racquet’s technology, and it taps the emotional power of tennis enthusiasts’ desire to perform at the top of their game.
The copy reads:
Elevate Your Game. You can feel it the instant you pick it up. It grows with every swing, every flick of your wrist, every muffed shot that still somehow drops exactly where you intend. Suddenly, the gap between the game in your head and your game on the court just vanishes. Suddenly, you’re flying. Introducing the revolutionary Wilson WnG, the only racquet with a Feather Spring frame that lets the string bed flex to cushion every shot, and then rebound to launch your return with unprecedented snap and precision. Smooth. Agile. Explosive. The WnG gives you the power to play above the competition.