Gift Card Program
My Role: Creative Director and Designer
I was the creative director for seasonal gift cards and supporting campaigns. I directed a team of graphic designers and photo crews to design and shoot assets for gift cards and associated deliverables such as print and e-commerce. I also designed the Valentine’s Day gift card and campaign.
The Challenge: Nordstrom’s 10-year relationship with the celebrated artist, Ruben Toledo, was ending. As a result, corporate marketing materials using his art such as the gift card program had to be updated. At the time, gift card sales were flat with modest gains during Hallmark holiday events. As the creative director, I needed to increase the gift card’s reach for a seamless customer experience across multiple channels.
Goals:
Elevate the card to a piece of art
Extend the visual relevancy of the card beyond the prescribed Hallmark holiday time frame
Translate Hallmark holiday themes for gift cards into marketing placements for a seamless customer experience
Actions: Using inviting words in expressive ways gave cards more flexibility of usage. Hallmark holiday cards positioned art with the Nordstrom logo instead of the event name allowing cards to be used well beyond the event time frame. Building interesting thematic worlds within the small confines of the gift card canvas elevated the card’s visual interest by creating macro and micro perspectives. Themes were easily expanded to larger canvases for posters and gift-giving landing pages.
The Outcome: Over 8 million gift cards were loaded totaling $630 million during the calendar year. Gift card art informed digital and store experiences for events providing them a unique branded look that elevated products and built awareness for gift giving.
Credits
Design team: Robert Trozzo,
Emily Anderson, Eldisa Delic
Floral stylist: Nancy Wing
Photography: Chuck Blackburn