For the launch of our new studio, Poolboy Studio, we wanted to come up with a fresh way to announce our birth. It had to be unique, a bit tongue in cheek, playful and minimal. So we created a campaign that contained various elements that touch on our service offerings of identity design, packaging design and creative photography, all while keeping things in a similar aesthetic that captured our brand ethos. We’re set it in the warm sunny skies of Orlando, Florida and we’re mildly obsessed with the relaxed mid-century Palm Springs era pool vibes. Naturally, we made a custom cake for our birthday, complete with a kidney shaped pool on top, but it couldn’t be any ordinary cake, because that wouldn’t make a splash. This cake needed to stand out and be something a little different. So we hired a local designer known for her wild creations and let her run loose with this confectionary masterpiece. Then we created a handful of products as new-business gifts and announcement mailers to round out our declaration. The sunscreen and drink tumbler showcased our love for packaging and products while the water-filled mailer showcased our expertise in print design, identities and creative photography. We are very keen on tactile design and love the interactions one has with the printed medium. So we spent a few months perfecting a mailer with the right liquid solution that allowed for movement and play all while being durable enough to mail out. The result is fantastic and quite fun to touch. We then created a business card to accompany these other branded pieces and knew it had to have the right balance of minimalism and playfulness that spoke to our brand essence. So we went with a duplexed letterpress card on Neenah Classic Crest in Solar White with a blue foil. It was kissed with just enough pressure to give that tactile sensibility. Then to add in the playfulness we did a silver edge foil to create a delighted surprise that nods to reflections seen from the sun and water.