This project for Paramount Television was for a scary television series called Friday the 13th. It was a spin-off from a movie with the same name. The sales package needed to contain sales information, bios of the stars, photos and a video of some of the show highlights.

 

This kind of job is called a Specialty Promotion in the syndicated television industry. It is something that is produced exclusively to sell or continue selling a show into syndication. It is truly only an item for roughly 200-300 eyes. The target for these promotions is TV station groups throughout the United States that buy the show to air in their regional market.

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A casket seemed to be the perfect metaphor for the show. A woodgrain pattern was printed and wrapped on the casket shaped box. There is quite a bit of hand-work but the material were readily available and the run was only about 300. In order to contain the sales material, the casket could easily be hinged open. This was an opportunity to have a red fabric interior, spider webs and a spider. The final elements were a real engraved brass name plate and brass handles.

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The Friday the 13th Casket won two awards. It won New York's prestigious Clio award and a BPME (Broadcast Promotion Marketing Executives) International Gold Medallion award.