BOOST X is a spin-off of BOOST. The BOOST philosophy, which has already proven to be successful within the Ministry of Defense in various units and with more than 5,000 employees, can also be applied within (large) companies and other government organizations.
C FOR CHARLIE was approached to be involved in this project from the very beginning based on the previous collaboration, which was a very pleasant experience for both sides. We were given a leading role in the project, with a say in the composition of a team and the design of the entire project.
The 2.0 version of BOOST was given the name BOOST X. A new version also entailed new branding. We therefore came up with a clear philosophy and used it, together with the current roots of BOOST, as the foundation for the renewed brand identity of BOOST X.
After several concepts we came up with a flag. An all-embracing symbol with various interesting angles. Within the army, the flag bearer leads the way in battle and the armed forces follow him as he ignites movement. It is a symbol that stands for revolution, or change in an organization. In addition, flags have had a symbolic role within the armed forces since ancient times.
In order to give a clear structure to the sometimes somewhat complicated matter, we approached the BOOST X trajectory as a journey. The metaphorical journey of each participant does not go from start to finish, it is a journey with different stops and new destinations. At each new destination the participants and their units reach within this trajectory, they will plant their flag.
We wanted to ensure an unforgettable experience from the very first contact. The BOOST X trajectory effectively starts with a jam-packed three-day event at an inspiring location: The BOOST-XPERIENCE. In our opinion, the moment of registration is the real beginning of the journey.
Between the moment of registration and the BOOST-XPERIENCE several weeks or even months pass. We wanted to start the journey from the moment of registration and in the meantime enthuse participants to build up the excitement for the event.
After signing up, the journey started with receiving a mysterious box. We had dozens of recyclable handmade boxes developed with discarded wood from shipbuilding (a link to the origins within the navy). The boxes are manufactured to high quality standards and are identical from every angle due to a mitered rim. We are always looking for inventive solutions that make the product even more unique or that reduce costs. We have done this by means of a sliding lid. This resulted in cost reduction by saving on costly hinges and closures. The system also works perfectly for keeping the content in place during distribution. Obviously, it provides an extra challenge in finding the opening of the box as well. All boxes have a round brass disc with an etched logo for a luxurious finish and a weathered (sea freight) appearance.
The content of the box is a card with information that neatly fits inside a folding card. Both cards are made of heavy colored paper in different shades of grey and have embossed depth lines, taken from marine maps of the North Sea (again an emphasis on the roots within the navy). The cards are put into a luxury custom made velvet inlay that fits exactly under the groove of the lid. This to prevent shifting of the content. The folding card is the most important element within the package. The recipients had to look for hidden coordinates in here. These personalized coordinates appeared in gold foil behind an applied tear-off strip. Using these coordinates, the crew members who participated in the BOOST-XPERIENCE could find their way to check in with us on a specially developed website.
With the names we received, we were able to create a personalized ticket for each participant (due to privacy regulations, no names are shown on the photos of the tickets). We did not just make a simple ticket, but a truly golden ticket, made of heavy full gold colored paper. For consistency purposes, these tickets were also provided with embossed depth lines, a tear-off strip and unique numbering. This numbering facilitated the check-in process during the BOOST-XPERIENCE. The participants did not receive the tickets in a simple envelope but in a similar wooden box. During the development of all items, we took all dimensions into account in such a way that everything was easy to combine.
For the BOOST-XPERIENCE we created ‘branded goodie bags’ filled with useful items for the three-day event. During the BOOST-XPERIENCE the participants recorded their progress by means of vlogs and reports, integrated with the special ‘Gpal App’. Because this required a lot of smartphone use, we added a power bank and earplugs to the goodie bag. Also peppermints for the many conversations with other participants, pens, A5 writing pads, a towel and finally key cords. All items feature a printed or embroidered BOOST X logo.
