Golden Egg

In the summer of 2021, and the world was just beginning to reopen. After months of isolation, uncertainty, and Zoom everything, high school students just graduated and were getting ready to go out into the world and off to college. They were excited, yes, but also anxious, disconnected, and craving something real. They needed more than information. They needed reassurance, belonging, and a spark of magic.

Enter the anti-melt mailer. Our client asked for a branded care package with stickers, markers, and stencils—the usual suspects. It was my first year on the job, so I asked: What if instead of the typical swag and we told our future Ducks how much they matter, how proud we are, and how they’re about to embark on an amazing adventure?

That’s when we hatched the Willy Wonka-inspired “Golden Egg” idea: gold-foiled box + a gold-painted wooden egg perfectly situated in a cozy nest + a custom fortune, and, of course, a little chocolate. It was a little silly, deeply heartfelt, and absolutely unforgettable—just like Oregon.
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Client: University of Oregon
Year: 2021

Project Credits:

Concept, creative direction, copywriting, and design: Leah Olson
Fortune copywriting: Colleen Schlonga and Sydney Volchok

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Outcome: In fall 2021, we welcomed the largest, most academically prepared, and most diverse freshman class in University of Oregon history (at the time... we’ve since surpassed it three years and counting✨).