Imaginasium

2008

Reigniting passion

A Taste of Wine & Cheese has become an annual must-attend event for many Green Bay area residents. This winter fundraiser warms bellies and spirits, and brings locals together for the benefit of The Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay.

For over a decade, A Taste of Wine & Cheese has been one of the most important fundraising vehicles for “The Club.” It receives loyal support from area businesses, and it’s been slowly growing in attendance (over 1,000 in 2007). A provider of marketing support for the past 11 years, Imaginasium’s input has obviously been noticed and well received.

Years of success, however, can also bring challenges; public complacency being the most damaging. With so many non-profit organizations hosting tastings and auctions, it’s getting more difficult to stand out and distinguish one event from another. Plus, area residents can support only a finite number of causes. Why should they choose A Taste of Wine & Cheese?

Imaginasium was asked by The Club to develop materials that went beyond promoting the event to typical attendees. This year, the challenge was to retain the current audience while attracting a younger audience that would share the experience with others and return year after year.

The Imaginasium creative team not only developed a concept to appeal to many audiences, it took a completely fresh look at all materials and their distribution methods. The campaign now is multi-tiered, with unique artwork for each piece—poster, printed invitation, ticket, e-mail invitation, magazine ad, and program cover. The effort is truly a campaign with a theme that runs throughout.

Reflecting the emotions felt by wine and cheese enthusiasts, the theme is passion. And in this case, passion manifests itself in an unexpected way. Each piece in the campaign features photography of a finely dressed person attending A Taste of Wine & Cheese. The twist comes in the form of tattoos appearing on the models, a different one for each campaign execution.

“We discovered people feel strongly about the event, both in experiencing the fine wine and gourmet cheese, and also supporting The Boys and Girls Club. I liked the idea of people showing their passion in a permanent way,” said Imaginasium Graphic Designer Renae Geimer.

All tattoo artwork was illustrated and donated by BarkinSpider Studio, Green Bay, and photography was shot and donated by Image Studios, Appleton.

“The Club will be handing out and applying temporary tattoos at the event,” said Copywriter Eric Severstad. “Not only is that cool, it extends the theme from the marketing pieces to the actual event itself. The Club took a bit of a risk with this new angle, but it shows they have a passion for the event and the foresight to help it stand out and get noticed,” he added.

The event takes place on February 8, 2008, at Green Bay’s Radisson Hotel. Tickets are $45 in advance and $50 at the door. A Taste of Wine & Cheese details can be found on The Boys & Girls Club website: bgcgb.org.