Thames Card Technology in Rayleigh has produced 200,000 cards for Virgin Student as part of an online and in-store promotion.

The VCards, each of which has a unique code, give students the opportunity to benefit from local and national discounts ranging from bargain body art to cheaper car hire.
Thames Card Technology salesman Tony Vater said: We produced the cards for two parallel promotional systems. They can be ordered via the internet, but also in-store or at varsity bars. These last ones we did were over-wrapped, like a phone card.

Last year Thames Card Technology produced and mailed out 70,000 for Virgin Student as part of its on-going contract. The VCards were produced on a PVC core and laminated, and featured mock holograms, made from a defraction foil, which was then over-blocked with a plain silver foil carrying the Virgin logo.

Users are given password-protected access to a complementary site, virginstudent.com, which entitles them to discounts as well as information on Virgin message SMS and VMail services, along with information on books, film and study.

Virgin Student marketing director James Layfield said the Essex firm pulled out the stops to produce the cards to complicated design requirements. He added: The card produces brand loyalty for Virgin Student and our associated website. Users have to keep checking back to see what the latest deals and promotions are and how they can use their card.

Story by John Davies