Project brief: Each year Unisource, a global paper distributor, invites the Chicago design community to view new products from the top paper mills and to view the best in-print design from the local marketplace. In an era when new media seems to corral the lion’s share of attention, our task was to design an invitation and event materials that communicated the value of paper and print and to generate excitement about the Paper Show.

Approach: Our conceptual approach was to bring a fresh perspective to paper as an effective and unique medium. Through extensive research we unveiled important milestones of paper dating back almost 6,000 years. We conveyed the story in the form of a time line designed in the shape of a U (Unisource) and the final point on the time line, the 2010 Paper Show. We chose letterpress to further showcase paper’s physical attributes and the unique impact that paper brings as a communications medium.

Effectiveness: Our solution was extremely successful in communicating the value of paper, and in generating excitement throughout the local design community. The story of paper educates us and provides some perspective on paper’s future role in integrated marketing strategies.

Showcases the beauty of print and expresses the history of printing in a unique time line.