Using ‘Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso Paris’ as the main draw card to the event, and inspiration for our creative, we set out to attract a capacity crowd of 250.

So we created a two-part piece that echoed Picasso’s Cubist style. It included: -Invitation DM: sent to generate awareness and attract RSVPs, featuring a reproduction of a cubist painting of a tiger similar to the Optus brand image.

-Reminder DM: sent as the event drew closer to those who RSPV’d, featuring a folded pair of Cubist glasses. When put on, the viewer’s sight was distorted into a Cubist perspective - so they can see the world as Picasso did ‘through the eyes of a Cubist master.’

Optus, one of Australia’s largest telecommunication companies, hosts a VIP Festive Season Concert every December. Those invited have an existing relationship with Optus and include top-level executives of suppliers, business partners, and clients.

2011 promised a private viewing of ‘Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso Paris’ at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. But with an audience who are inundated with year-end invitations, we had to make sure our invitation commanded attention and secured attendance. Our strategy was to create a two-step DM piece that brought to life the unique experience that could be enjoyed on the night.

The invitation DM attracted a 29% RSVP rate. The reminder DM attracted a 98% attendance from the RSVP list.

In short, the event drew in excess of the capacity crowd of 250, without the need to dispatch a B-list round of invitations.

This meant that Optus had the opportunity to strengthen their relationships with their existing top-level executives of suppliers, business partners and clients.

The Cubist painting of a tiger in the invitation DM was our way of merging the artistic style of Picasso with the Optus brand identity, because animals have represented the Optus brand identity for over a decade.

We also hand-painted our envelopes in the style that Picasso painted his letters.The strength of the reminder DM was that it gave the viewer an insight into what they could experience on the night, in other words, to ‘see the world through the eyes of a Cubist master.’ The pair of Cubist glasses included in this piece achieved this in a compelling and original way.