Market Schmarket

Every time I go to a conference, I usually come back with a bunch of business cards.  And sifting through all of them, they start to look the exact same.  They’re all the same shape, the same texture, even most of the colours are the same: White background. Nifty designs. Maybe a logo.  With everyone else trying to stuff their brand down my throat, it’s pretty hard for businesses to come up with a business card design that will stand out and make people remember you.  But that’s EXACTLY what this veterinary clinic from Israel did.

They took actual xray images that they have used on previous “patients” and printed them on transparent business cards so that the end product looked like a mini xray scan.  Not only that, but they were speciality-specific so that each vet could have a personalized card with their area of animal expertise on it.

I really liked this idea because I just thought it was so innovative!  Not only would these business cards stand out in an overwhelming business card-shaped pile, but now, the card gives value to the client.  I don’t know about anyone else, but if I were to get my hands on this bad boy, I wouldn’t want to throw it away.  Some business cards (as harsh as this may sound) have a throw-awayable quality to them.  Sometimes, they just seem so disposable.  But I wouldn’t feel the same way about this one.  To me, it seems more like a commodity, something that I wouldn’t be able to get easily.  It’s almost a work of art, really (I wouldn’t be surprised if an xray scan was propped up on an art gallery wall somewhere.  Modern art these days doesn’t really have a criteria. Except maybe confusion and political vulgarity).  But most importantly, this card represents the business that it is promoting clearly.  Receivers have no doubt what this card is for. It’s an animal xray. Go figure.