Every year, our Graphics Department designs a self-mailer to celebrate Opening Day and the season of Major League Baseball. In light of the 2021-2022 MLB lockout, our team wanted to select a theme that felt relevant. Our heads came to “Strikes, Feuds, and Rivalries” as our title and selected some of the most well-known sport conflicts in history.

Inspired by classic newspaper aesthetic, the typography, monotone images, and logotype created for the “Strikes, Feuds, & Rivalries” mirrors the theme of conflict by pushing and pulling letters. With the color, we wanted something as non-traditional as the MLB season had started at the time. The color makes a bold statement without aligning to any one team within the league. We chose paper made from recycled beer packaging, the preferred drink while watching a ballgame, of course. Finally, the fold and layout of the timeline represent the shape of a home plate.

One of the goals our team had for this mailer was to be engaging for our audience, so we mailed it in a clear envelope to showcase the piece and to intrigue recipients. The mailer reveals more information as it unfolds. It came complete with scratch-off baseball trivia, a giveaway contest, and a detailed timeline of iconic conflicts in sports history.