For devoted sports fans, there’s nothing like getting those season ticket packages in the mail. While it may be a fun moment, it’s not necessarily a memorable one. Most ticket packages follow the same formula: team colors, cheap materials, and a box that everyone throws away. As a creative obsessed with breaking convention, Frank Anselmo saw an opportunity to completely rethink what a season ticket package could be, creating a branded experience that New York Mets fans would actually want to keep.

By: Frank Anselmo, Freelance ECD

For as long as I can remember, sports teams have been shipping their most devout season ticket member fans a special package containing the tickets in their membership. My research showed that traditionally, these packages have usually been rather flimsy, where fans would remove their tickets and trash the outer box/package. In addition, I found that all the boxes, regardless of what sport or team played in the same sandbox, stuck to varying designs, staying true to the team’s colors and brand style guide.  

I’ve always been hellbent on innovative ideas, whether it be as the ECD at my day job or leading the Unconventional Advertising course I founded. My creative brief for this project was these three criteria:
1) Avoid every trope we found in our research. So, I banned the use of the team’s colors.
2) These are going to our most premium fans. Make the idea/art direction reflect that.
3) For the north star of the idea, not just the execution/design, incorporate something that only relates to this team and no other.  

The idea was to incorporate the New York City subway map as the main visual. The subway leads directly to the ballpark and has been a key part of the ballpark experience since the very beginning. A decision was made to go completely silver and black (except for a tiny touch of blue/orange) to elevate the premium-ness. The black-on-black art direction was printed on soft-touch stock with metallic silver foil. The package came with a matching commemorative ticket encased in glass, along with a phone charger so your digital tickets are always accessible.  

I’m proud this was awarded the highest honor of Platinum at the Graphis package design competition and was also the only entry from a sports team in the world recognized at the Clio Awards. But I must say, the package we’d create the following year would outdo this one in my book. It was a completely different strategy I created with a mission to create a digital and tangible brand experience.

Frank Anselmo’s path to a globally-awarded creative leader began with a devout ten-year stint rising to creative director at BBDO New York, where his unconventional thinking garnered every major creative award in the world and helped transform the creative culture. Thereafter, Frank established himself as a sought-after creative director for hire, collaborating with over 100 companies worldwide while leading his clients to hundreds of millions in new business wins.  

While moonlighting, Anselmo founded & led his own Unconventional Advertising college program at the School of Visual Arts in New York. As the leader of the world’s first documented program focused on creating unconventional advertising, Frank cemented his place in the record books after leading more students to globally awarded work than any educator in history. Anselmo’s program is known as “The Most Awarded Ad Class in History.” Frank was also recognized with the 1st Platinum Instructor Award. 

Frank was later honored as the first executive creative director in New York Mets history, where his leadership and vision helped lead the Mets to a record high of $244 million in revenue, the highest since the ballpark opened. Frank’s innovative thinking led to the franchise’s first idea to win a Clio Awards Statue, making Frank the first creative leader to ever win a global creative award in the Mets’ 60-year history.

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