By: Meg Rosenoff, Senior Copywriter

Winning “Best Of Show” is a big deal in any category. But winning “Best Of Show” in the AAF’s competitive category of “Self-Promotion” means something a little more. It means that our pride rose above the rest. Our belief in ourselves outshone all the competitors. We let our imaginations run wild—and the work spoke for itself.

2021 gave us another year of quarantines, worry and lack of togetherness. When thinking of a concept for a client mixer, the first thought was just that: togetherness. And when thinking of things that bring us together, we thought: music. Concerts, music festivals, albums, mixtapes. Music brings people together much like a great ad agency does. Even those who don’t go together inherently do when they’re brought together in the way of a client roster—or a mixtape. Enter: AMPersand. The name of our event was just as inspired by our name as our clients. Our services “amp” our clients’ products and services, the ampersand being the link that ties our name to theirs.

A set of tour posters set the design standard for the event, some featuring the names and locations of each client. These tour posters also contained many elements created for our brand refresh and helped tease our new look.

Each guest left with a client takeaway that was truly one-of-a-kind. We created custom hand-illustrated USB cassette tapes that gave the gift an old school feel with new age convenience (because who even knows where their cassette player is anymore.) We even took the time to select music to be included in the playlist on the mixtape that would be a nod to each of our clients.

Live music added to the ambiance created by photo ops and handmade pieces that scattered the event. As any great party does, the guests stayed long past the “end” time, and the memories will long outlive the event itself.

The assignment was creating an unforgettable branded event. The result changed lives for the better.