Here's what he had to say:
Your business card should have your logo, web address and contact details - it doesn’t need much more than that.It doesn’t need to fold out into an origami duck, it doesn’t need to be inserted into a CD drive, it doesn’t need to tell us about your 10% discount to new customers, it doesn’t need to play the national anthem whenever it’s picked up and it doesn’t need to taste of strawberries when you lick it.
Putting anything on the back of your card is a big no-no too.
Well, Geoff Ramm would have a blue fit if he read that. His view is that business cards should have a bit of punch and a bit of pizazz. Because that's what makes them stand out from the dozens of other business cards that are dished out. And if they can be a different shape then so much the better.
And personally, I agree with Geoff.
I'd like to share two examples of great business card shapes with you.
First is a book-binder's in Haltwhistle, Northumberland. Their business card is shaped like a bookmark. Fab. It's relevant to the business, and as it's used as a bookmark, the reader remembers the company.
The second, which I was given last night, is for The Utility Warehouse, a company that saves you money on all your utility bills.
Here's their business card.
Shaped like a smiling fat pink piggy bank.
(The grey background is my printer, not the card.)
And it's headed up with the tagline, "Let's put money in your Piggy Bank".
That card grabbed my attention right away and made me laugh. And it ensured that if I'm looking for that sort of a company, I'll think of the one with the piggy bank card.
I did think of making my own cards shaped like a plus-sign, but my printer wasn't keen :-)
If you MUST have a biz card then Moo cards are the way to go IMO - or one of @gapingvoid's. I have 3 of his. One says: "Dennis Howlett, the human social object" - which I kinda like.
ReplyDeleteIF they're an odd shape then they do stand out from the rest. And they're easy to find too.
ReplyDeleteStandard sized ones -> In a card holder
Odd sized ones -> In the bin
They don't go in my bin Duane.
ReplyDeleteThey go in my card holder and get my business!
M.
I think Duane means if they don't fit because they're an odd shape.
ReplyDeleteI don’t quite understand spending money on paying for the die cast when you could spend it on upgrading the quality of stock and maybe adding some UV Spot.
This turns your business card into something different, classier and less of a gimmick.