2010 Self Promo
March 8th, 2010
A year in the making, I was excited to ship my official introduction to nearly 300 of the top creative folks in the photo industry last month. After a successful 2008 and beginning of 2009, I realized my commercial work came mostly through word of mouth and that I had made no marketing efforts. I knew in order to take my business to the next level, I needed to start marketing myself on a national level and more importantly, I had only one chance to make an awesome first impression.
“As an art buyer, I get a lot of little promotional pieces. I am spoiled. BUT, yours was so well put together and well done that I stopped everything I was doing and went to your website. NOT to my surprise your work is just as thoughtful, innovative and touching as your promotional piece. I officially have a work crush on you. Please come and see us so we can put you to work ASAP.:)”
This promo would be the first time the agencies and art buyers would hear about me so I wanted to fill it with items that told something about who I was. The challenge was how to fill a box with multiple items and not make it feel like a junk box. I worked closely with Suzanne Sease and Rob Jefferson to find items that were relevant to the audience of art buyers and creative directors and compiled my mailing list with Suzanne using Agency Access. I needed every piece of this promo to have a wow-factor so I worked exclusively with the most talented Robb Major to design everything from the screen printing of the shipping box to the design on the matchboxes. To tie it all together, I included my “to-do list” which is below.
“Cool promotional box! So much so in fact that I feel compelled to use you for our next photo shoot. I have a client in ————. Are you available and interested? Wow, this just goes to prove the power of good advertising.”
“This is the most amazing promo I’ve ever received in my 12 years of art buying! I truly hope to work with you soon and I hope this gets you a ton of work! Its genius!”
“I just received your magic lunchbox and I gotta say it’s quite the spread. The San Cristobal just made my drive to NY tomorrow night that much better. If you’re ever in ——– for a job let me know and I’ll set you up with a portfolio review with my art producer colleagues so they can get to know you. Thank you and stay in touch.”
It took two snowy days and a dozen awesome friends to put all of these boxes together and shipped in early February. The response has been outstanding and I have received an amazing amount of free T-shirt cards back full of comments request for portfolios as well as phone calls. The big task now is follow through….. and thinking about a 2011 promo!
Want a retro (empty, sorry) lunch tin of your own? Leave a convincing comment below and I may just feel compelled to mail you one.
Posted in Photography, Promotion, business, marketing on March 8th, 2010
[...] Casey Templeton przygotował nieduży gadżet reklamowy, który wysłał do kilkuset agencji w poszukiwaniu pracy. [...]
I’m speechless… there aren’t superlatives for how good this is!
[...] Fotograf Casey Templeton przygotował świetny gadżet reklamowy, który wysłał do kilkuset agencji w poszukiwaniu pracy. Odzew pracodawców był natychmiastowy. Zobaczcie, co znajduje się w środku pudełka i ile to wszystko kosztowało. [...]
[...] Typography In Your Designs (by @AisleOne on @smashingmag) From @DavidAirey Check out how @CaseyTempleton #Photography marketed himself to potential clients with this incredible promo pa… From @robbmajor RT @designerscouch: 40 Superb T Shirt Designs Which Will Make You Look [...]
[...] Fotograf Casey Templeton przygotował świetny gadżet reklamowy, który wysłał do kilkuset agencji w poszukiwaniu pracy. Odzew pracodawców był natychmiastowy. Zobaczcie, co znajduje się w środku pudełka i ile to wszystko kosztowało. [...]
Casey,
WOW! What a great promo! I’m sure you’ll see lots of return on investment from this one!
Cheers,
Rick
Dude, I dont think I can say it any better than it’s been said, but these are simply amazing. As a marketer I love seeing great ideas come to fruition. So cool, The “Mad Men” would be proud.
+Aperture Rocks
What a fantastic idea. APERTURE ROCKS.
What a great idea. +APERTURE ROCKS!
fantastic idea casey. i love the idea of packing personal aspects of your life into a box, it helps perspective clients get inside your head and get an idea of who you really are. in this business you are selling yourself, this mailer allows them to see the photographer they’re hiring. love the idea, i’m a ways away from constructing my own mailer, but when i get to that point, may have to borrow a few ideas. HAHA. sneaky sneaky.
casey…thank you so much for sharing such a brilliant marketing effort. i am the curriculum director for a photography school and i can’t wait to share your efforts with our students. also having been on the client side of things, i would have made an appointment to meet you right away. kudos!
[...] crafty brainstorming and a planned budget can go a long way to get yourself out there. Click here to check out photographer Casey Templeton’s promo that got him noticed in a big way. Tags: [...]
If it costs a dollar it’ll pay for itself. If it costs $100, it’ll pay for itself. If it costs $1000 it’ll pay for itself. Even if it breaks even, you’ve gained $1,00,000 in branding. Again, what did you say your name is?
Rohn
[...] that cost $15,000 but will pay itself back very shortly. If you go and check out Casey’s 2010 Self Promo you’ll be able to see the positive responses he has received from art buyers and [...]
I’ve followed your work since I was in photojournalism school at UNC and am always impressed with your creativity and seemingly boundless energy when it comes to your photography. Now I know that it applies to your marketing, too. Congrats on the marketing piece, and I hope it exceeds your expectations in delivering results!
Well, you lied. The box wont be empty. It will be filled with hopes of receiving one
cheap. I know but hey I’m speechless by your work, therefore its your fault.
This is genius! Very smart packaging / pieces that will remind people of you & your work as they use them - and also high motivation to reply for the tshirt with an easily-filed out card. Wonderful work! Just went to a talk from Heather Morton ( http://www.heathermorton.ca/blog/ ) an art buyer in Toronto, Canada and she had examples of photographer promos but nothing quite like this. Nice work.
My first lunchbox was a yellow Snoopy one in the shape of his doghouse. If only it had been filled with brilliance like yours, instead of PB&Js!
And here I am wanting to get myself out there, I better dust myself down and pull my finger out.
[...] learned about an internship with Casey Templeton during a class lecture about branding yourself {2010 Promo}. I decided to apply because I would have just finished an 8-month intensive photography program [...]
I never thought anything could beat a shrimp tempura bento box in terms of yumminess - but your lunch box just did… /drool
Perfectly executed and well planned!
I would say this is the best ever Self promo ever done. I doubt anyone but yourelf can come close to “one upping” this promotion…
I am in awe.
“Casey Templeton vs The Old Spice Guy” I got my money on Casey!
This is insanely awesome. Love it!
Wow, that’s amazing. I don’t think many people could come up with something like that and pull it off. I loved the to-do list and lunch box (I hope you’re compelled to send me one :P). I wonder what you’ll come up with in 2011. Good luck!
This is outstanding! Quite awe-inspiring, for someone like me, just budding into the world. $15,000? Sounds like quite an investment, but there isn’t a better investment than one in yourself, right? I’m sure that you’ll be kept busy with the work you generate from this project for a while, and I can’t wait to see more amazing ideas. I just took an introductory highschool photography course this year, and while I doubt I’ll ever get to the point of awesomeness to foster the kind of ingenuity that you’ve shown, I do have to say you’ve inspired me to go and pick up my (albeit cheap) camera and work on it.
By the way, an empty can sounds great