NYE 2018/2019: Transitions

Transitions: a New Year’s Eve Invitation

New Year’s Eve approaches. Possibilities fill the air.
The countdown begins. Suddenly, it’s the new year.

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Caesars Entertainment's New Year's Eve parties are some of the most exclusive and amazing events every year, and the invitations need to match that high-end one-of-a-kind feel. This design utilized metallic inks with a mix of gloss and dull coatings to convey a classic yet modern look and feel to both attract guests to to one of the annual New Year’s Eve parties across the country, and make those who receive an invite feel like they've truly earned something special. The creative also allows for the design to scale well to any element, from direct mail pieces to on-property support collateral and signage. This design filled hotel rooms, restaurants, gaming floors and entertainment venues, which increased revenue across all Caesars Entertainment properties.

The initial concept was developed by Brooke Everson with design support from Neha Shah and Gabe Garcia, and copywriter Christopher Helsabeck. Final refinements of the design and the buildout for production was completed and managed by me. The design received Silver for Cards and Invitations at the 2019 American Advertising Awards.

The invite is designed to tell a story, starting with the envelope, hinting at the celebration in store.

The invite holder inside reinforces and expands upon the teaser on the front of the envelope, opening to reveal the primary messaging and the main invite.

The main invite utilized the iconic clock in bright gold, with hands almost at midnight on the front. The Caesars Laurel in matching gold headlined the welcome letter from the CEO, personalized to the guest.

The rest of the invites used elements central to the theme of New Year's Eve to distinguish individual properties' parties in markets with many to choose from. The bright colors carry over from the unique design on the front of each invite, to the headlines and design accents of the messaging on the back.

Special attention was paid to include unique printing techniques to enhance the design, including the use of metallic inks, allowing the colors to truly pop from the black starry background, and a mix of gloss and dull coatings create a faceted jewel-like effect for each design.