At the time, the AIR MILES Reward Program was Canada's most recognized loyalty program.

When the loyalty program launched their new elite tier, they wanted a prestigious, rich look and feel for all elite communications for qualifying Collectors to revel in and potential Collectors to aspire to.

My Art Director partner and I had just rebranded the AIR MILES Gold tier to make our most valued Collectors feel appreciated. With this new top tier, since the qualifications were very high (only 5-10% of Collectors would ever qualify), our goal was to create a lush and luxurious feel.

Firstly, I named the tier Onyx, after the semi-precious gemstone. While natural black onyx does exist, it is extremely rare. I felt this best represented our ultimate tier: the best of AIR MILES for our best Collectors. And black Onyx offered a distinct visual contrast from our Gold tier creative.

The language also needed to feel lush, high-end and inviting to Collectors to explore their newly acquired Onyx lifestyle. This is from the welcome kit:

As a new Onyx Collector, you’re ready to create your own path of reward and luxury. Looking for an anniversary gift? We’ll make it our mission to find the perfect one for you. Want an unforgettable summer? Jet off to Capri with greater access to flights than ever before. As one of our top Collectors, we are at your service and want to ensure you have the best AIR MILES experience possible.

Secondly, we needed to create a welcome package fit for AIR MILES elite. We opted for a roll fold so it felt expansive, demonstrating a new benefit as new panels were opened. We also made blacks luxurious, with high-gloss finishes and embossing on the welcome package and its accompanying box.

The launch collateral won:

An Award of Distinction in the Print-Marketing-Promotional category for Copywriting at the Communicator Awards
and
An Award of Excellence in the Print-Marketing-Promotional category for Design at the Communicator Awards