While serving in my role as Digital Communications Specialist & Graphic Designer for Jesuit Dallas, I created countless pieces of print & collateral material for the school, including bringing the design of the alumni magazine fully in-house for the first time in the school’s history. One of my proudest creations was a direct-mail pamphlet that kicked of the annual alumni fundraiser for the school in the fall of 2013.
While there were certainly plenty of creative decisions made in the development of the internal 8 pages of the booklet, the most creative work came in the creation of the cover for the piece... While the internal 8 pages were the same for everyone who received the mailer, the covers were designed to be personalized for each of the 9,000+ alumni who received one.
Some of the variable data that was included: the recipient’s name on the front cover, a personalized pledge card with the recipients contact information “auto-filled”, a customized “suggested gift amount” based on the recipient’s giving history, and a special surprise for the twelfth “reason to give” — an image one of the three former Deans of Discipline (depending on which dean the recipient would have had during their time at the school).
The mailers were a huge success, and resulted in the school’s highest-ever Alumni Annual Fund total at the time.
