Altoid Tin Candle

Art Direction
Design
Production

Details about my self-promo were published in Flaunt: Designing effective, compelling and memorable portfolios of Creative Work (by UnderConsideration).

When did you create your self-promo (date), and under what circumstances? What was its main purpose?
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December/January 2010. As a young designer fresh out of school–with VERY LITTLE budget–I needed my self-promo to be resourceful, unique, and cheap.

What prompted your choice of presentation? 
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I aimed for quality not quantity. Instead of sending out a big stack of postcards, I decided to send something practical that might stick around on someone’s desk. I narrowed my wish-list to 10 top contacts; a mix of advertising agencies, design studios, and solo designers who I admired.

Can you tell us about the materials used, and how you put it together? How much of it was DIY and what was vendor-based?  
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The whole package centers around up-cycling. I painted empty Altoid tins a flat white color. Then poured peppermint-scented soy wax in each. I was interning at Stitch Design Co at the time, so I’d make a point to rescue any nice letterpressed scrap paper that was in the recycle bin. I cut down the scraps and stamped each to make my business cards. The sticker on the inside of the lid and the custom rubber stamps were sourced from vendors, but other than that, it was a pretty fast, resourceful, and cheap.

Can you tell us about the response you received? Or the feedback? 
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60% of the recipients responded to the promo; a few just said thanks for the gift, others led to a conversation about work. I got a call from HOOK to freelance, which ultimately turned into a full time gig. How’s that for ROI?

The production time was: 
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1 week. I sent out the self-promo just after the holidays, as a Happy fresh New Year gift. 

The production cost was (total, and per unit):
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$70 total, $7/each