Developing an Annual Calendar and a Unique Industry Tradition
We developed an annual calendar for Matco Tools which became an industry tradition.
We developed an annual calendar for Matco Tools — concept, photography, design — which became an industry tradition for the brand.
Challenge
To appeal to the mainly male demographic of mechanics, automotive companies have been creating and distributing pin-up calendars since the 1930s or even earlier. The team at Matco Tools — a leading brand of professional automotive tools — wanted to produce their own calendar as a gift for distributors, but the challenge for this project was creating a version of this industry staple that that represented Matco in a way that was both cheeky and classy.
Ideation
Knowing that our calendar would be competing with all the other annual calendars the distributors were sure to receive, we needed to make sure ours had original elements that were cool enough to grab someone’s attention. We also wanted to create a program that made mechanics and distributors to look forward to Matco’s next calendar as well. We carefully created a visual concept for the calendar that was upscale and fit with Matco’s look and feel as a brand.
Execution
In all, we created the Matco’s calendars for eight years. First, we partnered with Playboy to secure the talent for the shoot. The photography for each calendar was done on a variety of sets and locations from Route 66 to racetracks to hot rod garages. Our photography struck a balance between sultry and classy that fit perfectly with Matco’s brand while still capturing the essence of a traditional pin-up calendar.
