It was my first rodeo, y'all! But really... I got to go to the rodeo for the first time ever, and then again the next day too!
BootBarn, one of the sponsors for the San Diego Rodeo, hired me to engrave Zippo lighters at their private VIP suite at Petco Park, as a personalized gifting experience for their VIP guests.
Before the event, my client and I discussed the personalization idea they had in mind (lighters), as well as how many guests would be attended each day of the rodeo. Since the amount of guests were about 20 to 30 people each day, this meant I could really focus on providing a premium one-of-a-kind experience for them, even more so than I already do at my events!
We collaborated on some ideas for an illustration sheet of Western-themed motifs that guests could choose from to get hand engraved on their lighters. And not only could they get hand engraved calligraphy engraved on their lighters; they could choose from a western-style font or one of the illustrations provided.
Since sketching each illustration would take a lot of time, and I wanted the illustrations to remain consistent, I was able to utilize my tattoo artist toolbox, and apply a special stencil on the lighters to engrave the chosen illustrations. And while I wouldn't be able to do this at a higher-volume event, this was the perfect opportunity to do this!
With the intent to make the ordering process as seamless as possible, I created a custom order form for guests to fill out. This informed them of their options, while also letting me know inn a clear what exactly what they wanted. The order forms were also super helpful when guests were ready to pick up their custom engraved gifts, as there were some duplicate requests in the mix!
The most popular request was the horseshoe illustration with the word "lucky" in calligraphy, but I also got to engrave a cowboy boot, desert landscape, bull skull, cactus, and cowboy hat. While I'm biased to the calligraphy style lettering, the western-style lettering paired so well with the motifs too!
Not only were guests wow'ed in person -- they shared their excitement online too! In addition to the Instagram stories shared online (of creators who tagged me), TikToker @HenryHenryHenryHenryHenr posted a "what's in my bag?" video, and included a clip of his custom engraved lighter! Fan girl moment for sure.
I loved getting to be a part of everyone's rodeo experience, whether it was their first as well, or their 21st, and am so grateful that I get to continue to work with brands that are intentional about their client experiences and value artistry.
But don't just take it from me. Read their review:
"We loved having Alex at our event this past weekend. She not only did amazing calligraphy on lighters for our guests but also was such a great personality to have at the event. Incredibly professionally and talented, would love to get to work with her again." -Courtney J.
Looking for a professional artist for your event in San Diego, Los Angeles, or beyond? This is kinda my specialty, so let’s connect!
I offer calligraphy customization and engraving for:
Brand activations and experiences
Corporate events
PR and influencer gifting
Customer facing product personalization
And more!
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