STABILO woody 3 in 1 sample card

A retail sample card I conceptualized and prototyped to sell the STABILO woody 3 in 1's core claim: one ultra-high quality pencil that draws on paper, glass and dark surfaces.

Product Marketing, CPG2018 – 20191 min read

Prototype STABILO woody 3 in 1 sample card with a real pencil held in a die-cut sleeve

The context

The STABILO woody 3 in 1 is an impressive but unusual product. Advertised as "a colored pencil, watercolor and wax crayon in one", it's an easy-to-grip pencil geared towards children. But it's also used by professional artists around the world, due in no small part to containing massive amounts of expensive pigment, the amount of which largely determines the quality of art supplies like paint and colored pencils.

The problem

We needed a way to show more consumers just how great the product is and why it's worth paying more for, especially if you have young artistic minds at home. And of course, text on a website only goes so far in selling a "gotta feel it in your hand" product.

The solution

I conceptualized and prototyped a die-cut sample card that cradles the product between two circular cut outs, and also acts as a testing surface after removing the shrinkwrap from the pencil.

The aim of this card was to prove to the adult buyer that the product does what it claims to while also appealing to an (often child) end user.

Back of the sample card with a color-in panda illustration and a real pencil in a second die-cut sleeve — Backside: The panda appeals to kids and proves to adults that the pencil does indeed draw on dark surfaces.

The result

The sample card design was given the green light, we printed them and filled them with fresh product before distributing them to retail partners who then handed them out to retail consumers.