TL;DR
We reimagined the traditional book launch mailer as a curated, joy-filled unboxing experience that encouraged organic social sharing and helped build momentum for pre-orders ahead of release.
Today Was Fun
Client
Publishing PR Kit
Description
Experience Design, Packaging Design, Brand Activation
Contribution
The Challenge
Ahead of the publication of her first book, Today Was Fun, author Bree Groff needed to send advance copies to roughly 250 media contacts and influencers. The goal was to build awareness, encourage pre-orders, and introduce recipients to the book’s message before its release.
Most advance copies arrive in boring padded envelopes with a thank-you note. They can feel forgettable sitting in a stack on a reader’s desk. Bree wanted to stand out and help recipients feel the same optimism and playfulness found throughout the book before they read the first page.
Insight
Rather than treating the mailer as packaging, we treated it as the book’s first chapter. After reading and annotating the manuscript, we mapped recurring themes, memorable moments, and practical exercises that could become tangible interactions. The title, Today Was Fun, became the guiding principle for every decision.
Everything we sent needed to do two things:
Have a clear connection to the book
Be genuinely fun!
Exploring the Possibilities
We explored four distinct directions, questioning not only which ideas were most promising but whether familiar branded merchandise belonged in the experience at all. A promotional giveaway might have been easy to produce, but would not necessarily communicate the spirit of Today Was Fun. Instead, we looked for objects and interactions that felt more surprising, personal, and meaningfully connected to the book.
Each direction interpreted the book’s message through a different lens, including interactive moments, playful office supplies, and collectible keepsakes. The goal was to move beyond the branding and create items recipients would genuinely enjoy discovering, using, and keeping.
Bringing It All Together
As we would expect, the final direction took bits and pieces from all the possibilities. Through refining, combining, and simplifying, we created a cohesive unboxing experience where every element worked toward the same goal: helping recipients feel the spirit of Today Was Fun before they opened the book.
Designing Beyond the Book
The unboxing experience took shape through many rounds of testing and refinement across the packaging, graphics, sequencing, and merchandise.
We generated far more ideas than could ultimately fit in the box, from playful objects and interactive moments to unexpected ways of extending the book’s themes into everyday life. Not every idea made the final cut, but each helped us understand what the experience could become.
The final contents were a carefully edited selection from a much larger field of great possibilities.
Results
We produced and delivered more than 250 curated press kits ahead of launch, introducing the book through an experience rather than simply sending another package. Recipients shared the unboxing on social media, extending the campaign beyond its original mailing list and generating organic visibility before publication.
The book went on to receive notable recognition, including:
Named one of Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books of 2025
Selected for Kirkus Reviews’ Best Indie Books of July
Named a Kirkus Editor's Pick
Those achievements reflect the strength of the book and cannot be attributed to the campaign alone. Still, the launch experience helped ensure that Today Was Fun arrived in reviewers’ hands as something memorable, thoughtful, and worth sharing.
