Summary: "Steamy details about summer conventions revealed!"
This oversized, tabloid-style mailer broke through the clutter with bold headlines and cheeky newsprint styling—announcing the billion-dollar expansion of Phoenix’s Civic Plaza in sensational fashion. A foldout “front page,” interactive comic viewer, and explosive copy made meeting planners take notice—and take action.

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🗞️ Case Study: Extra! Extra! – Phoenix Civic Plaza Explodes with Value

Client: Phoenix & Valley of the Sun Convention & Visitors Bureau
Category: B2B Direct Mail | Meeting Planner Incentive | Tactile Marketing
Objective: Showcase the explosive growth of Phoenix’s downtown convention district and draw national attention to the newly expanded Civic Plaza as a premium event destination.

🎯 Challenge

How do you convince national meeting planners to reconsider Phoenix—not just as a warm-weather fallback, but as a modern, value-rich convention destination? With the billion-dollar renovation of its Civic Plaza underway, Phoenix needed to break through the clutter and deliver its message with the urgency of breaking news.

💡 Strategy & Concept

"Extra! Extra!" adopted the design and tone of a scandalous tabloid newspaper, complete with:

• 📰 Oversized folding broadsheet styled like a sensational front page

  • 💣 Headline language that hyped the news:

  • “Steamy Details About Summer Conventions Revealed!”

  • “Civic Center Explodes with Value!”

  • “SPACE, SPACE, SPACE!”
    
    

• 🖼️ Cartoon illustrations, bold layouts, and black-and-white tabloid textures gave it retro appeal and immediate visual differentiation

The tabloid mailer folded out into a poster-sized news feature, touting Phoenix’s massive downtown investment and its convention-ready advantages.

📦 Tactile Bonus: Pop-Out Comic Strip Viewer

A custom-printed mini comic strip—complete with its own red plastic reader—told a tongue-in-cheek story of skeptical planners “discovering” the new Phoenix. This second layer of interactivity gave the campaign tactile flair, made it desk-displayable, and reinforced brand recall.

🛠️ Kit Components

• Faux-newspaper mailing package

• Tabloid-sized front-page foldout

• Pop-out comic strip + red plastic viewer

• Inserts outlining event services, civic center specs, and updated catering capabilities

• Contact info and response options built into the content as "ad placements"

🏆 Results

📈 Planners responded to the urgency and creativity of the format—with a strong uptick in inquiries and brochure requests following mail delivery.
🎯 Phoenix was successfully repositioned from "scenic fallback" to "headline-worthy host city."
🧠 The tabloid style boosted memory retention of both the Phoenix brand and the Civic Plaza’s specs.
🛬 Several planners noted the mailing when later touring or booking Phoenix venues—proof that tactile storytelling leaves a mark.

💡 Key Takeaways

• Tabloid styling = buzzworthy branding

• Humor and interactivity capture attention—and help prospects remember your message

When your city is truly changing, don’t whisper it. SHOUT IT IN HEADLINES. 

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Summary: This colorful, classroom-style mailer tested planners on what they knew—and taught them what they didn’t—about Phoenix’s downtown convention appeal. A pop-up 3D skyline and playful quiz card made it fun to learn about meeting space, accessibility, and weather perks. Return the answers, win a trip—and maybe book a meeting while you're at it.

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📝 Case Study: Back-to-School Pop Quiz – A Phoenix Primer

Client: Phoenix & Valley of the Sun Convention & Visitors Bureau
Category: B2B Direct Mail | Interactive Learning | Meeting Planner Incentive
Objective: Capture meeting planner attention and reinforce Phoenix’s downtown accessibility, hotel capacity, and new convention center features using a playful, school-themed promotional format.

🎯 Challenge

Planners often overlook Phoenix in favor of flashier destinations. The Phoenix CVB needed a way to educate while entertaining—reminding recipients that Phoenix had not only grown, but graduated into a top-tier convention city.

💡 Strategy & Concept

“Back-to-School Pop Quiz” turned a simple mailer into a tactile, interactive classroom moment—delivering key facts about Phoenix in the form of a cheeky quiz.

• 📝 A multiple-choice trivia format tested planners’ knowledge of Phoenix’s hotel inventory, transportation access, weather, and venue capacity

• 🌵 Hidden among the playful tone were strong value messages and logistical advantages that Phoenix offered for large-scale meetings

🧠 Interactive Format

📚 Pop-Up Mailer:

• The piece unfolded to reveal a pop-up 3D cityscape of Phoenix—complete with cacti, buildings, and skyline

• Back-to-school visuals and Southwest color palettes gave it a nostalgic but vibrant appeal

📝 Quiz Card Entry Form:

• Planners answered Phoenix trivia questions

• Completed quizzes were returned for a chance to win a Phoenix vacation

• Subtly educational, but with a light touch that sparked curiosity—not boredom

📦 Kit Contents

• Folded pop-up mailer with quiz format

• Pre-addressed return section for contest entry

• City facts and planner advantages integrated throughout

• CVB contact details styled like “school announcements”

🏆 Results

📈 Engagement rates surpassed previous CVB outreach pieces, with planners noting the “clever,” “memorable,” and “fun” format
🧠 Increased awareness of Phoenix’s growing event infrastructure
✉️ High return rate on trivia entries led to stronger lead generation for the fall convention planning season

💡 Key Takeaways

• Quizzes are powerful learning tools—especially when answers are brand advantages

• Tactile, interactive formats build deeper memory than flat mailers

• Even a school theme can teach serious selling points when done with style

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Summary: This nostalgic, mail-themed promotion reintroduced Phoenix as a revitalized meeting destination. With retro-styled stamps, postmark copy, and a tear-off reply card, it delivered a tactile and charming reminder: Phoenix is ready, walkable, and worth another look. First-class format for a first-class destination.

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📬 Case Study: Stamp of Approval – A First-Class Pitch for Phoenix

Client: Phoenix & Valley of the Sun Convention & Visitors Bureau
Category: B2B Direct Mail | Nostalgia Marketing | Meeting Planner Outreach
Objective: Reposition Phoenix as a revitalized, high-value meeting destination by engaging planners through a charming, mail-themed promotion that blended tactile intrigue with updated city messaging.

🎯 Challenge

Phoenix had undergone major downtown renovations, but many planners still associated it with outdated infrastructure. The CVB needed to reframe perceptions—while making the case for Phoenix’s accessibility, expanded venue space, and entertainment options.

💡 Strategy & Concept

The “Stamp of Approval” promotion leaned into the tactile and emotional power of mail—transforming a postcard-style mailer into a nostalgic, collector-worthy keepsake.

• 📬 Mimicked a vintage stamp album layout

• ✒️ Used themed “postmarks” with playful phrasing like “Delivering Big Convention Energy” and “Now Boarding: Phoenix Civic Plaza”

• 🖋️ Cleverly layered updates about hotel growth, walkability, weather, and downtown amenities throughout the mailer copy

🧰 Key Format Elements

📮 Stamp-Style Inserts:

• Faux rubber stamps and “passport stamp” stickers included

• Each stamp highlighted a different advantage (e.g., 1,200 new rooms, light rail access, 325 days of sun)

📨 Custom Packaging:

• Arrived in a crisp, first-class mailing tube with official-style CVB “seal”

• Designed to feel substantial and “important”—definitely not junk mail

📋 Tear-Off Reply Card:

• Planners were invited to approve Phoenix by checking “Yes!” and returning the card to enter a trip giveaway

• Card also doubled as a lead gen form, collecting planner info and event criteria

📈 Results

✅ Over 60% of recipients opened and engaged with the piece
✅ High planner recall of downtown updates and hotel stats
✅ Boosted interest in site visits and follow-up conversations
✅ Strong emotional response noted: “It made me smile—and made me look at Phoenix again”

💡 Why It Worked

• Nostalgia draws attention—planners paused to interact

• Mail metaphor reinforced Phoenix’s accessibility and connectedness

• Stamps and return card gamified the reply—making it easy and fun to say yes

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Summary: To promote its newly expanded Civic Plaza, the Phoenix CVB mailed national meeting planners a branded crayon kit and coloring card—inviting them to reimagine the city for themselves. With interactive content, bold visuals, and a prize-driven CTA, the campaign reinforced Phoenix as a creative, accessible destination for major events.

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Client: Phoenix & Valley of the Sun Convention & Visitors Bureau
Category: B2B Destination Marketing | Direct Mail | Experiential Promo
Target: National Meeting Planners & Corporate Event Decision-Makers

🎯 Objective

With a newly renovated downtown and a massive expansion of its Civic Plaza convention center, Phoenix needed a way to stand out from the crowd of sunbelt competitors—and book more national meetings and conventions. The goal:

Get Phoenix on the radar of high-value meeting planners across the U.S. through a memorable and creative mail campaign.

💡 The Big Idea

Why not literally let recipients color Phoenix in?

This campaign invited planners to “go outside the lines” using a custom coloring kit—complete with crayons, coloring postcards, and playful destination facts. It turned passive outreach into an interactive experience, inviting recipients to co-create a vision of Phoenix while learning what made it a vibrant meeting destination.

📦 The Kit Included:

• A mini coloring book/postcard featuring a stylized illustration of Phoenix and the Valley of the Sun

• A set of branded crayons in a “Phoenix & Valley of the Sun” box

• Lightly gamified elements like:

  • A coloring contest with an Olympics-themed prize

  • A simple lead-gen  form built into the mailer

  • A clever call-to-action: “Picture in your mind how beautiful it must really be.”

🎯 Messaging Highlights

• “Color the Phoenix Civic Plaza – HUGE”

• “It’s OK to go outside the lines”

• “Paint the town easy access”

• “We pass with flying colors”

These lines blended Southwest visual themes with useful facts about Phoenix’s 300,000 sq ft convention space, hotel proximity, nightlife upgrades, and downtown walkability.

🛠️ Execution & Distribution

• National direct mail drop to meeting and incentive travel planners

• Tactile piece stood out in flat mail stacks

• Follow-up phone outreach used contest interest as a warm lead

📈 Results & Impact

• High recall and word-of-mouth value due to playful packaging

• Strong inbound interest from planners requesting more info or Phoenix site visits

• Helped reposition Phoenix as a colorful, creative, and competitive destination in the minds of business travel professionals

🧠 Key Takeaways

• Tactile = memorable — especially in a digital-fatigued B2B space

• Giving planners a chance to engage visually and physically made Phoenix stand out

• The campaign itself reflected the destination: colorful, bold, unexpected

“After you’ve colored the picture of Phoenix, picture in your mind how beautiful it must really be…”