H&R Block Tax Software Production
For five consecutive years (2018–2023), I managed the graphic production of H&R Block's retail Tax Software. This product mix included creation and management of the five retail packaging SKUs and big box retail displays (Office Depot, Walmart, Meijer, Staples); creation and management of 1,200 digital assets for the client's online portal, online retailers, and the client's internal use; creation and management of custom SKUs and packaging for Amazon and Walmart; creation and management of dozens of personalized SKUs for the extensive and detailed direct mail program; as well as comp charts, sell sheets, CD labels, video assets, shipping cartons, insert booklets, and countertop displays — all from die line to press check in a three-month period from mid-August to early November.
The five levels of retail packaging, these sporting a bug for an additional Amazon refund bonus.
A few of the direct mail layouts and forms, from 6-panel wallets to more simple envelope folds. All layouts were printed CMYK + spot PMS 2422 with overall aqueous and spot gloss varnishes, flawlessly executed by SG360 in Wheeling, IL.
Slight digression: On what we didn't know would be our last press check for the client, my project manager John Capaul and I had quite the press check adventure, flying from O'Hare into Minneapolis around 10am thinking we would have a lazyish day checking 4-5 forms — when a power outage from a cut cable right around noon changed our plans. Instead of seeing the first form at noon, we didn't see our first form until at least 5pm, then a new one every 2-3 hours from that point, checking our final form at 3am and catching a 6:30am flight back to Chicago with only a 1-hour nap as a buffer. John, being far stronger than I, somehow managed to still make it into the office that day, before his brain simply stopped working correctly around 2pm.