We Entered Our First Print Competition. We Walked Away With 7 Awards.
If you know bigDAWGS, you probably know us as the “electronics in print” guys. For almost the last 2 decades, we’ve built our entire reputation around phygital marketing. We were the ones embedding HD video screens, custom audio chips, LEDs, and NFC tags directly into physical mailers.
But a while back, we had a realization. If we really wanted to deliver a completely mind-blowing, multi-sensory experience, relying on the embedded tech alone just wasn’t cutting it anymore. We had to drastically up our print embellishment game.
So we did. And to see where we stood, we decided to do something we’ve literally never done before: we entered an industry award competition.
Honestly, the results blew us away. We took home seven Gold Leaf Awards from the Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA). Seven. On our very first try.
Figuring Out the Embellishment Game
Getting to this point was anything but easy. It took late nights, a lot of trial and error, and some serious partnerships. We joined forces with the team at Konica Minolta and basically spent months mastering their MGI JETvarnish technology. We pushed that machine way past its normal limits to get the heavy tactile effects we were looking for.
We also teamed up with Fujifilm. By running their Revoria press, we were able to tap into 5th and 6th specialty toners. That gave us access to incredibly vibrant PINK toners for a massive, high-gamut color pop that standard CMYK just can’t touch.
Instead of just laying down ink, we started engineering actual sensory experiences. The seven pieces that won involved insanely detailed textures, complex custom die-cutting and folding, and heavy amounts of raised UV varnish and raised foil.
We ended up winning across the board. We grabbed Gold Leafs for our “Yoga Banner” and the “Holiday Corporate Favor Boxes.” We took Silver for our “Re/Max Premiere Pop-up Business Card Set.” And we brought home Bronze awards that perfectly showcased our weird, wonderful hybrid of print and tech—specifically for our “NFC Business Card” and the “Gideon Portfolio videoBOOK.”
This is Just Step One
Pulling off seven FSEA awards right out of the gate feels like a huge validation of all the boundaries our crew has been trying to push.
But don’t get it twisted—this is just a milestone, not the finish line. We say it all the time, but print is far from dead. It’s just turning into a crazy, multi-sensory powerhouse, and we are completely here for it.
A massive thank you to everyone who has supported us, to our equipment partners, and to the clients who actually let us try these crazy ideas out on their projects. Let’s keep tearing up this industry together.
Are you ready to up your print marketing game?
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