You Want a Wally, Don't You?
Until recently I thought Wally was the name of a character on Leave it to Beaver but I now realize that this view was all too narrow (not to mention retro), after coming across something called the Wally Award. The full name is actually the Wally Synthetic Paper Award and it's handed out to three lucky pups each year, along with a thousand bucks and a gizmo from PANTONE. To snag it you'll have to create a compelling design using paper products from Yupo Corp., which has chosen as its motto the rhetorical question: "Have you done it on YUPO Synthetic Paper?" I am not making this up.
It turns out that Yupo Corp. invented synthetic paper 30 years ago and has been cranking it out ever since, to the point where it's now the largest manufacturer of synthetic papers in the world. What's up with synthetic paper, you say? Well, for starters, it's very environment friendly. Hmm, know any potential clients for whom that might matter? It's also not only 100% waterproof but resistent to chemicals and stains of all kinds, as well as providing superior durability, wear and tear resistance. No surprise then that it is being used for applications such as maps, menus, game boards and even sushi plates.
So by all means check out the Wally Awards. But the bigger idea is to think beyond traditional paper for your design jobs. Using an innovative, but still appropriate, substrate can quickly take you and your firm to another level.
Neat!
Have you ever seen hemp paper? Not very common in the U.S. (due to paranoia of hemp), but hemp is proving to be a very useful substance.