2019 Playing Card Collection Day Series Is Inspired By The Beauty Of Morocco
by Dieline Author on 02/01/2020 | 4 Minute Read
Inspired by the beauty of Morocco’s palaces, this year’s design pays tribute to the iconic architecture of the region with traditionally decorated gates and exotic geometric patterns throughout that hint at something more.
Now in their fourth year hosting the event, Seasons sought to make a bigger impact with their packaging by going beyond graphics to create an interactive experience designed for elements of 'achievement' + 'surprise' (elements shown to help better encode events into memory for higher valuation).
The packaging centers on a challenge labeled on the side to “unlock the gate” of their palace, designed to reward users with discovery moments of different magnitude in direct correlation with their e?ort and investment towards the experience and brand.
Sheltering each deck of playing cards is a beautifully handcrafted two-piece shell, intaglio engraved with gold and silver throughout. The tight exterior designs mimic the stonework of Morocco's gates and provide cultural balance to the looser zellij geometry of the cards within. The exterior features a keyhole silhouette where the user begins their journey of “unlocking” the deck. Sliding the interior shell through the vertical keyhole track reveals a rising mirrored archway. Passive users can enjoy the beauty of the packaging at face value. However those willing to take the challenge and place more attention into the brand experience are rewarded in return with escalating revelations.
The interior “closed” gate hints at evidence of a concealed image behind the mirror, made di?cult to see. Curiosity brings people to shine a light into the box for a better look which activates the next discovery in the experience.
Designed at 30% opacity the custom two-way mirror stays opaque -- until backlit. When light is introduced into the shell to backlight the mirror, the reflection wondrously vanishes by turning transparent, unveiling a hidden illustration to the delightful surprise of the customer. This discovery becomes one of the first shared secrets between the brand and the user.
Different courtyard illustrations of Morocco were printed across the series for distinct discovery experiences.
A variation of the interior shell was planned into the packaging system, featuring an “open” gate design available to customers who purchased sets. This variation features a second archway cut behind the mirror to both expose an alternative illustration set of palace wall tiling and become a necessary element to elevating the journey for more invested fans.
These "aha" moments became shareable pieces of content that brought the brand into public conversation gaining attention from collectors outside the immediate customer group. Different colored archways create different palace illusions to make each discovery more personalized to each individual collector. The effect is made to work in exhibit cases with top-down lighting and can be viewed using just the interior shells or in full raised format for an elevated palace display.
By turning packaging into part of the play experience we were able to transform the user's quick and mundane unboxing task into a more rewarding emotional connection towards the product and the brand.
RESULTS
The goal of bringing a highlight to the brand by designing an interactive experience through packaging was an enormous success. Sales for the 2019 release were unprecedented for the company, selling out in less than 20 hours. Our strategy of creating sincere “earned moments” of surprise and awe were central to the success in differentiating Seasons from the market and creating genuine memorable brand impressions with their users long after the cards were delivered and played with.
Sales proceeds went towards keeping Portfolio52, a card collection management tool developed by Seasons and used by the community, free of charge. User sign-up for the site tool in association with the event grew 20%, double what it was the year before.
MATERIALS & PRODUCTION
LINKS:
Packaging Test Effects (Mobile):
The user is greeted with a true moment of wonder when the final discovery is unlocked. By utilizing a repeating mirror effect between the two gates, the viewer is greeted with an entire world fit seemingly inside an impossible sized space, creating a moment with the packaging typically reserved for magical worlds of fiction. Peering through the gate reveals a gilded corridor through palace halls where the inside of the packaging goes quite literally beyond the boundaries of the box bringing a new spin to the phrase of thinking “outside the box”.
National Playing Card Collection Day (NPCCD) is an annual event that celebrates the art of playing cards and the community that collects them in this passionate growing niche market. Every year Seasons launches a limited holiday deck series to bring awareness to both the developing industry as well as the brand.
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Customer Example:
Each limited edition piece is meticulously handcrafted, featuring luxurious gold and silver intaglio engravings and delicate hand assembly to ensure quality for each discerning collector. Engravings are hand run on a Heidelberg Press. Premium stock used is combination of Neenah Stardream and Royal Sundance.
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Instagram Tutorial Release for Users:
- Designed By: Seasons Playing Cards