Two-stage yield kit for RMCAD: a teaser lip balm with bold iconography and QR CTA, followed by a customizable backpack + markers mapped to program colors. I led concept, packaging, copy, and production so students literally ‘make their mark’, driving RSVPs, social buzz, and award-winning recognition.
Challenge:
Re-energize admitted high-school students in a disrupted 2021 cycle and nudge them from interest → action (RSVPs, deposits, portfolio events) with something tactile, fun, and unmistakably creative—without on-campus touchpoints.
Re-energize admitted high-school students in a disrupted 2021 cycle and nudge them from interest → action (RSVPs, deposits, portfolio events) with something tactile, fun, and unmistakably creative—without on-campus touchpoints.
Role:
Concept, art direction, packaging design, copywriting, production and vendor coordination.
Concept, art direction, packaging design, copywriting, production and vendor coordination.
Process:
Audience & Strategy: Framed the kit around Gen-Z’s love of personalization and unboxing. Defined two touchpoints: a micro-teaser (lip balm) → a participatory hero (customizable backpack).
Audience & Strategy: Framed the kit around Gen-Z’s love of personalization and unboxing. Defined two touchpoints: a micro-teaser (lip balm) → a participatory hero (customizable backpack).
System & Palette: Built an icon set and gradient system mapped to RMCAD program colors for instant field-of-study recognition.
Copy & CTA: Wrote playful prompts that turn “getting ready for art school” into an action. Added QR codes to RSVP a virtual portfolio review / Accepted-Students event and to a landing page with quick-start tips.
Packaging Engineering: Developed dielines for the lip balm sleeve and backpack hang-tags; spec’d coatings/stock to protect gradients; created kitting instructions for fulfillment.
Make-it-Work Testing: Sourced fabric-safe markers, ran rub/sweat/wash tests on backpack material, and adjusted line weights so student drawings read clearly IRL and in social photos.
Production: Managed proofs, color checks, and unit cost targets; coordinated assembly so the teaser ships first (“promo for the promo”), followed by the backpack kit.
Solution:
A two-stage engagement kit:
A two-stage engagement kit:
Teaser lip balm—bright iconography and a quick QR invite to the next action.
Customizable backpack—a gradient-washed “blank canvas” plus markers so students co-create the merch that represents their next chapter. The system ties copy, color, and form into one clear story: you’re already making art—start now.
Outcome:
Increased admitted-student touchbacks and social participation (QR scans + hashtag submissions) during the mail-in window, plus third-party recognition: Gold — AAF SWFL ADDYs (2022) and Silver — 37th Annual Educational Advertising Awards (2022). The kit became a repeatable template for future cohorts with clear specs and kitting SOPs.
Increased admitted-student touchbacks and social participation (QR scans + hashtag submissions) during the mail-in window, plus third-party recognition: Gold — AAF SWFL ADDYs (2022) and Silver — 37th Annual Educational Advertising Awards (2022). The kit became a repeatable template for future cohorts with clear specs and kitting SOPs.
