How was it produced? The company sent out 35 oriental scrolls to attract attendees to a sushi-making and sake-tasting cruise along the river Thames. Needing to reflect the theme of the event while keeping costs to a minimum, the scrolls comprised the inner cardboard tube from a £1 roll of cellophane which was sprayed a deep red. This was then stencilled with the Japanese calligraphy for sushi and sake. Each invitation was printed in-house on the company’s Konica Minolta Bizhub C253 and finished with colour co-ordinated silk thread and stone bead.

What challenges were overcome? According to Roger Bradshaw, head of design at The Phoenix Partners, the key challenges were addressing budgetary and time constraints "while at the same time demonstrating the agency’s flair for design".

What was the feedback? Feedback on the event and the invitation was overwhelmingly positive. Tim Hamill, head of the mail media centre at Royal Mail, said the mailer showed ingenuity and resulted in a piece of creative design which "really hit the mark" against all its objectives. "It was a fitting precursor to a very enjoyable event and demonstrated that mail is an effective communication tool," he said. Freida Moore, head of corporate communications for recruitment expert Hays, added: "I was impressed from the minute I opened the padded envelope it arrived in. It was a perfect introduction to the event and it looked very exclusive."