Despite several redesigns and updates over the past 20 years, Woodberry’s viewbook materials have generally been fairly traditional. We wanted to upend people’s expectations of what they’d receive in the mail from us, and we wanted to focus on a multi-part package with shorter pieces rather than a single, longer viewbook. We settled on four pieces, held together with a slip cover. They include a guidebook that has most of the copy, along with photos and graphics; a glossy photo book that has very little copy; a “campus guide” that includes a map with places prospective boys may want to explore when visiting; and a sticker sheet, giving recipients a fun take away they can put on a water bottle or laptop.
From the Judges
Woodberry Forest School deconstructed its viewbook into three pieces, each with its own mood and purpose that worked together with its companion pieces to establish a whole. As an all-boys’ boarding school, Woodberry Forest needs to speak to multiple audiences—not just to the potential student. Each of the three pieces speaks appropriately to a different family member, using a sense of playful nostalgia to sell them on the school. One uses black-and-white photos and a limited color palette to speak to parents about the value of a Woodberry education; the second uses gorgeous color photography to make prospective students imagine themselves at the school; and the third presents a stylized map that will encourage both families and students to visit Woodberry and see what it’s about.
