Every year Insight Creative aims to give their clients a memorable end-of-year gift, that makes them feel valued, showcases their creativity and expresses who they are and what they stand for. Creating something that achieves all these goals, and still has cut-through in a frantic time of year, was a big ask. In 2020, there was the added complexity of Covid. The client team wanted something that clearly acknowledged the extraordinary year it had been and selected a concept which was the ultimate in crappy gifts, a pair of socks... to epitomise the crappy year it was.

It was more than just a pair of custom-designed, limited-edition socks but a ‘smile in the mind’ experience that gives the middle finger to the year that was.

The gift was packaged in a modest kraft box, with a personalised label that says it all: “A miserable year deserves a miserable gift. Here’s a pair of socks.” As you opened the box you were greeted by a pair of bold graphic eyes steering back at you. The sock design was inspired by the Māori whakataukī “Ka Mua, Ka Muri” meaning “walking backwards into the future” – a te ao Māori concept that we should look to our past to inform our future. The multitude of seemingly random graphic shapes represents the chaotic year that was, divided by the two eyes: one looking back while the other looks forward.

The typography is purposefully utilitarian and elementary, allowing the socks to take centre stage. The complementary colours were specifically chosen to be bright and engaging in order to convey a brighter future.

The experience continued behind the socks with an engaging, editioned owner’s manual. The colour blocking from the socks was combined in different ways to create graphic illustrations that have a playful simplicity, taking banal garment care instructions to a new level.

The overall experience was well-considered, personalised, engaging and highly crafted. It was delivered with a high level of humour that left our clients with a big smile on their faces. The agency had given more valuable gifts in the past but they’d never received that level of response.

Better still, many clients shared sock-selfies.

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AWARDS
Best Awards Finalist / Self Promotion
AGDA Merit / Brand Identity & Self Promotion
International Design Awards Gold / Self Promotion

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CREDITS
Concept, Copy, Design & Direction Christopher Gough Palmer
Production Mason Smith, Rainer Leisky, Jo Otto & Kirsty Drummond
Client Team Steven Giannoulis & Paul Saris
Creative Direction Brian Slade
Agency Insight Creative