Most business cards are dull, boring, and don’t say much about the person. These business cards tend to be forgotten, which is why then are ineffective. Here are 51 business cards that say a lot about the person:
What shows that you love giving more than a ribbon.
Red liquid inside a card is a good way to make it seem bloody.
Who wants to play a game of cat and mouse?
Some people like to save movie stubs and tickets…hopefully they’ll also save this card.
Making a business card doesn’t have to be expensive, you can use house hold items.
Good way to show what you do.
Entertaining, yet informative.
This card may look cool, but it is also sharp.
Teeth marks or a business card weaved with dental floss is a good way to show what you do.
Nice use of symbolism.
The food couldn’t have been that good if you are already starting eating the card.
Good use of shape to make the card stand out.
Good play on the sense of touch.
Not only is this card engraved with the number 5, it also looks like a floor.
Incase you don’t know what to do with all your business cards, just look at the picture.
You better hope the person remembers your contact information because once they eat it there is no going back.
If you attend conferences on a regular basis or are in the dating space, this could be a nice design for you.
Once again, nice use of symbolism.
Not only is this a cool design, but you can probably make this type of business card yourself.
You may create a cool message when you connect all of the business cards, but who is going to collect all 8.
You can definitely expect this business card to get passed around.
I wonder if it can actually be used to pick a lock.
If your store location is hard to find, you could consider creating a similar card.
This card is simplistic and stylish at the same time. It’s a good representation of the jeweler.
Not only will people remember that you mow lawns, but hopefully those seeds will make people’s lawn grow faster so they call you more often.
If you want to put your face on a business card, this is a good way to do so.
Why tell people you sell office furniture, when you can show them.
This may seem like a good concept, but people will tend to forget your contact information after they eat the peanut.
Great way to get potential customers engaged in what you do.
If you need a personal trainer the rubber is probably too strong for you to pull.
Cool concept, but not sure how useful it is.
Great way to show what you do.
Great business card for anyone in sales.
Simplistic, yet effective.
If you need marriage counseling, hopefully duct tape holds your marriage together.
This would have worked well during the live strong bracelet period.
Who doesn’t need a ruler?
Only if it was scratch and sniff.
I wonder if the business card is actually eatable?
Good design for a stamp company.
I don’t know what this card is all about, but it would work well with a company that is gender oriented.
What better way to tell time than a sundial.
Not only is the card inside a ziploc bag, but you can actually put water inside it.
Nice play on symbolism.
Hopefully Fedex doesn’t sue Ted.
This is a great way to get people to come into your church.
Not only is this card cool, but it is also fun to play with.
Only if it was an air freshener that you could hang in your car.
Looks cool, but it is hard to read. It wouldn’t work if you are looking to network with old people.
Once the balloon pops, your contact information will be gone.
At least you are upfront with your motives.
{ 100 trackbacks }
{ 402 comments… read them below or add one }
Always a big fan of the creative business cards, sweet post. What I think would be valuable though is if you listed a few companies that will actually make these. When I was trying to get biz cards made I contacted at least 10 different print shops and no one would do anything like these.
PS – The ACS biz cards are legit!
Thanks! I also can’t find anyone that makes great business cards anymore. Sadly I can’t find the number for the company that did the ACS business cards.
these are all pretty cool.. “TedEx” looks like a lawsuit waiting to happen though
I think he will be fine, unless his company becomes large.
The good news is you cannot copyright a “Font Style” or patent it, as far as I know (which may not be as far as I’d like). And there’s plenty of examples of font look a likes out there.
- Dead Island video game uses same font as Dead Rising
- Matrix font used a lot in independent movies (look in the Best Buy / Walmart bargin bin)
- http://www.logodesignlove.com/similar-original-logos
â–ˆ Kris Tian â–ˆ (knows it’s improper to start a sentence with “And” like he does in all his comments but doesn’t care and dislikes it when others tell him how to express himself because human expression is whatever you want it to be and shouldn’t always follow IRS like guidelines)
Ah, so you can copy another company? Just like TedEx did?
Ah, so you can copy another company? Just like TedEx did?
As long as it’s not exactly the same, and the public can differenciate the two services / businesses / products.
If FedEx DID decide to sue TedEx it would determained by a court. It’s one of those things that’s determained on a case by case basis, like “Fair Use” copyright infringement cases.
Thanks for the info!
It’s nothing to do with copyright, protection of business names &c. is Trademarks. You can trademark a color, smell, font, sound, shape .. anything that is distinctive of your goods and services.
TedEx is an attempt to trade off FedEx’s brand .. that’s bad juju in any courtroom.
Anyone seeing that logo, TedEx, is reminded of FedEx and (it’s easily argued) will assume that they are involved in the origination of whatever he’s peddling.
[I used to work in patents in UK, never Trademark though]
You are right. Why would you want people to look at your business card and think of another company.
FedEx isn’t just about the font or the name.
There’s also the arrow between the E and x
That should be distinctive enough to be copyrighted as a logo.
In Australia, the law pivots around the reasonable man test – would the reader think that it was connected to FedEx, or condoned by them? If so, it’s called “passing off” and therefore unallowable. This ruling stemmed from “Hogan v Grosby” where the shoemaker used the line “that’s not a shoe, this is a shoe” emulating Crocodile Dundee’s line “that’s not a knife, this is a knife”. It hasn’t been challenged in the High Court (yet). Incidentally, I believe Cadbury trademarked 16 hues of the colour purple, but I believe this has been overruled since.
I didn’t notice the arrow. Thanks for pointing that out.
I think including issues such as the arrow, same colours, same font, and the words being so similar, and seemingly intentionally trying to make a connection between the 2 companies, I’d be wary.
Who knows, maybe he will get sued and receive a lot of publicity.
If that happens, it would be well worth it.
But I would have to get my foot out of my mouth cause how would I categorize quality of life. They may be in poorer living conditions but they could be happier than I am because of their belief system. So alas I don’t know. This is what blogs are for.
Sit down 1 night and write everything out…get you mind on paper.
Kris Tian,
It is apporpriate to use “and” at the begining of a sentence. The correct way to do so would be to use it as an interjection followed by a comma. It is similar to saying “Further more,…”
Yes you can.
It’s just that many people don’t go through the trouble of getting exclusive licensing for a font that they license for a project.
In the case of corporations, they will often have one made solely for their use, and then protect it.
You CAN get design patents for fonts.
Yes you can and definitely should.
FedEx once sued a little coffee shop in my town called FederalEsspresso. Their logo didn’t try to look like them either.
People sue each other all the time in this country. In many cases, they are for dumb reasons.
Neil, that may be true, but copyright/trademark laws are international. It may be dumb (and sometimes is) for one company to sue another for trademark infringement, but if you don’t actively protect your trademark, you’ll loose it, so they kind of have to.
Usually, they don’t sue though, they just send you a cease and desist letter. If you ignore it, they will sue you then.
It is always good to make an example out of someone. This way others won’t infringe on your trademark.
FedEx is such a widely recognised brand that there is no doubt that the TedEx logo would invoke a connection with the FedEx brand. The only argument that could possibly save the TedEx logo from trade mark infringement, would be that it is clearly a comical play on the logo and that consumers would not be confused. Given the widespread recognition of the brand though, my money would be on FedEx.
Marcus
Australian Patent & Trade Marks Attorney
Thanks for giving an attorney’s perspective on TedEx.
Lindon Leader (designer of the FEDEX logo)or Landor associates (Design company who employed LL)could surely sue for interlectual copyright infringement, this is a very famous example of effective use of negative space. The examples you give are not original (other than lego) – I suggest reading ‘the art of saying hello’. A lot of these examples have been done before and better.
Check out MOO’s business cards: http://www.moo.com/products/business_cards.php
There are some beautiful examples here: http://www.moo.com/ideas/business_cards.php
I hate MOO cards. The quality of them suck and I prefer regular size cards.
Moo also have regular size cards.. And I love them!
I’ll have to check them out.
Actually if you go to most marketing firms (not print shops) they can design business cards like you see above.
One that I’ve dealt with in the past, that have created all sort of unique marketing promotions, business cards, etc is http://www.a-b-c.com/
Thanks for the tip!
You just need to go to a quality stationary printer (NOT AN ONLINE PRINTER), to get great results.
I am in southern California, so I use The Ligature and Burdge, Inc.
You will never receive outstanding and creative results from an online gang-run printer. They simply do not have the capabilities.
Thanks for sharing. Now I know who to go to.
who cares about tedex……where can i get those cool cards
You can try http://www.inkd.com
Awesome post. I always like to see what creative ideas other people have outside the box
Thanks! Hopefully it will help you create a good business card, if you already don’t have one.
I like those dog tags, They would be awesome to have for my blog haha
You should create it. There must be a business card manufacture out there that would do it for you.
I think I’ll look into it, see if there’s a company around me that would create them. I will definitely send you one when I do!
Let me know if you do and I’ll ping you my mailing address.
These business card lists are always inspiring.
Thanks! It also helps us learn what are good business cards and what are bad ones. It seems that we tend to forget that a lot.
Wow, there’s some pretty cool ones there. Now if anyone could tell me where you get cards like these made!
Most of these are custom cards. Before you find someone to produce your business cards, you first have to find a designer who can come up with a concept. Then you have to find a manufacture, pick the paper, and have them print a test run.
I’m sure they cost quite a bit, too. But if they’re really good, it may be worth it for the marketing.
Yea, good cards usually end up costing close to a dollar a piece. Sometimes they can even cost more.
some of these look like they would probably cost even a couple bucks, like the one with red liquid
Even the simple ones can cost a lot. My ACS business cards cost a dollar a piece. There is nothing special about it, other than it is on recycled paper.
Many of the diecut or embossed cards can be created pretty easily.
The first thing to do is define the original card concept. Next, create a physical mock up of what it should look like. Find a local print shop that works closely with a diecutter / embosser if they don’t do it in house and see if they can recreate your mock up.
Or, the MacGyver way:
An advanced option is to lay your artwork 6 to 8 cards up and send it out to a gang printer that prints large volume jobs. Once printed, take the final work to your local diecutter and have them do there part of the job. Finally, have the full size sheets cut down into individual cards. Voilah!
Expect to pay for die or embossing set up fees and definitely make sure everyone involved is in agreement that your request can done prior to initiating.
Thanks for the input. It seems that you would be a good hire to design some cards.
I like the TedEx one. That’s awesome.
Problem with the TedEx card is that it is a play on FedEx. I rather try and create my own brand instead of being tied to “FedEx”.
Yeah, if FedEx wasn’t aware of TedEx before this post, good chance they are now…
Hopefully I don’t get him in trouble.
Ted is obviously a one man band (so to speak), and I think what he’s doing is smart (if not legal).
Trading off a huge brand name like FedEx makes Ted a lot more memorable than he may be. No doubt, it also costs a lot less than creating his own brand.
I don’t know. I think it hurts his brand. When I look at it, I think of Fedex and not “ted”.
Indeed… It just reminds you of FedEx. Then you start to think about FedEx instead of Ted’s business.
Yes, they’re might be some kind of legal issues there but it’s problem lol
Those were fun. Thanks for the break. It gave me some good ideas.
Let me know if you need anymore inspiration. I found hundreds of good ones…
from where you got this cards Neil ? or you design them yourself ???
From around the web. A lot of people post pictures of their business card.
Yeah you can find dozens of cards on the web. I remember dedicating a whole day looking at them. And gotta say they’re pretty inspirational
They will surely make you look twice.
Cool list. Liked almost all of them. I will come out with my wn design. This will serve as inspiration.
Make sure you don’t use the wrong business card designs for inspiration. In most cases things like metal cards won’t work well.
Curious if you recognized the name on the lockpick card – it’s Kevin Mitnick, the hacker who was jailed for several years:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Mitnick
Cool card there.
I didn’t know that. Thanks for sharing the info!
Yes, I tried to find one of his cards last year, but had no luck.
50% of these cards I would absolutely love to have.
The dental one is particularly cool, but still very simple.
Yea the simple cards are the best ones. Cheap to make (hopefully), yet still effective.
He was on This Week in Tech (twit.tv) and laughed about the customs officer coming back into the US asking him “what’s this?” regarding his lockpick set/business cards. There was a bit of tension before they let him go home (he was detained because of his record to begin with)
Ah, thanks for sharing…
Really cool business cards. Do you know about one which is good for itM
If you tell me a little bit about yourself, what you do, and your goals, I can probably help.
You can also order his business card for 5 dollars. http://www.kevinmitnick.com/index.php
Neat stuff, Neil! I’m designing my own business cards as I write this, and while they will stand out from typical white cards, it’s nothing compared to this lot of ingenuity.
As Leonardo da Vinci once said, “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”.
I use cardscan quite a bit and I hate when these ultra fancy types of cards do not go through the scanner. The clothesline clip would be annoying to carry around.
Yea, you probably couldn’t carry around too many of those clips. They look cool, but they aren’t practical.
I like a lot of those but if you have even checked into how much they cost it really isn’t worth it.
I agree. Unless your business has high margins, you probably shouldn’t spend too much money of fancy cards.
I really don’t understand what most people do with business cards they collect. I goto many business events and hand out my cards and a very small percentage of people make follow up contact, why is that?
Handing out business cards is a good idea, because you never know where its going to land, but more importantly collecting the other persons business card or contact information is more important in my opinion.
The day after I collect a business card, I ALWAYS send a follow up email to all the people I have gathered business cards from. Typically in the follow up email, I review the event we met at and leave the email open to see how we can help each other in the future.
People like follow ups, but very few professionals understand the importance of touching base afterwards.
I think a very small percentage follow up is because they just wanted your card to find out about your company or they received too many business cards and can’t figure out which ones to follow up with.
For the metal ones it was around $1.75 each which if you are like me and give away 20-30 at a convention minimum then it makes it hard to think you could have maybe 300-500 extra since I feel the regular paper cards do the same.
If you look around you can get metal ones at a dollar a piece. Problem with metal cards is that they are a pain to take through airport security.
Never thought how innovative a business card can be, some great ideas here.
Hopefully they inspire you to create great cards.
Great collection of cards!!! I only wish I was half that creative!! Thanks for sharing!
You can be, just put a little thought into it. If you can’t come up with anything, email me and I will help you.
Great collection. I’ll bookmark this website, stumble and visit this often to get great idea.
Thanks for the stumble!
I wish I was creative enough to come up with something like that. Back when I was a singer, I had business cards that had colorful rainbow notes on them. This was back in the 90s and I thought that was pretty cool, but these are just downright awesome!
It seems that cards are becoming more complicated. Back in the 90s business cards were more simple, which I feel is better. For example, you can’t even write on metal cards.
I agree. These are all very nice to look at and do catch the attention of people, but sometimes it seems like simpler is just the way to go!
It is as long as you have a few differentiating factors. You don’t want to be too simplistic were you blend in with other cards.
That was awesome. I love creativity- I think I’ll come up with a hybrid of these designs for my business cards.
Increase Gas Mileage-Use Water4Gas
Just don’t get too crazy. Keep it simple and relate it to your business. And most importantly add that personal touch that makes your card stand out from others.
I think I’m going to need some business cards for my blog now that I have personalized my domain name. Still working on those dog tags Neil. haha
You should make a few if you want, but they don’t serve the purpose of what a business card should.
yeah, I’m actually in the process of designing real business cards right now, but Just as a souvenir Dog Tags.
Excellent post my man! It just shows how creative you can get when you think outside the box.
Thanks Bobby! And thanks for the link love from TSB.
Nice original set of cards, but most of them are barely usable (who would put a clothes pin in their pocket), I find the simplest ones are the easiest ones to remember, especialy the marriage counseling one.
Not just that, but if you were the one handing out a cloths pin, how many could you carry in your pocket?
The card that is on the peanuts, I can’t imagine being an actual business card. I could see that being in bulk at an event, or restaurant or something where they are tons of them available. But just the sheer nature of carrying them in your pocket for any length of time would rub the ink off – before you ever gave them to anyone.
At least you’d never starve to death while waiting for clients on that all day sales call.
LOL! In that case you may remember the company, but I still hate the concept. You can’t fit much information on a peanut.
Neil, you have combined real world entity in to creative designs, that’s shows expertise. wonderful job dude.
Design is everywhere, it isn’t just in business cards. No matter what you are doing in life, look around because the basic design elements around you will affect your feelings and actions.
For example take fast food joints, they like using the colors red and yellow because it makes people feel hungry.
Hum, so people involvement and attraction would be the major factor in designing business card, just from the business card they follow your business. Thanks for explanation.
Your post prove that business start from your business card.
I am not sure if they start from a business card, but your card should carry over the same message that your business has. And the message should carry over in more than just a written format.
ok so since I work with websites… what are some creative thoughts? One that looks like a browser window with Google page showing?????
What do you do exactly?
I build websites that include SEO considerations from the start and optimize them and help my clients learn to help themselves with their SEO and internet presence. I am just getting started myself with the social networking so I’m training my current clients as I learn.
I am not sure on a concept, but you maybe able to do something with a search box. Similar to your browser idea, but something a bit more simple. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
1. Make sure the card is made out of paper that can be written on.
2. Create a visual message… maybe you can do this through a search box image.
3. State what you do.
4. Include your contact information in readable font size and typography.
Yes, You are true but that is what your business card shows… so before starting to offering something to your clients, Convey message of your business through your business card.
Yea, if your message carries over the sale is much easier. The last thing you want is for the other person to not know what you do based off of your business card.
i think that it starts from your service first and when your business become big , then you look to the other things as business cards and other looks .
That’s right. Your business doesn’t start with a card, it starts with the problem you are trying to solve.
Great post.. I think I liked the ruler one best of all.. something you can use… a beer opener would probably be a great gimmic if that were your industry.
I think it would work as long as you did not hand them out at beer conferences because they are probably a dime a dozen there.
True true… however my husband is in the food and beverage industry and hasn’t ever gotten one? Beer openers with Corona on them or something.. but not as a business card… Hey…. maybe I should make some up with his name for all his bar owners… they probably wouldn’t ever loose his number that way…. *
That would be a good idea. It would work and people would keep his contact information for a long time.
the problem with a great business card is that that cost quite a bit and everyone wants one. You have to be really selective to who you give one out to. I wonder if you could give the nice ones to clients and the less ones to prospects. The business card will get people interested and maybe the clients would wonder why you gave them the sub-standard one if you switched it. Anythoughts?
I usually give the nice ones to prospects and clients. They both can provide an ROI, so why not give them the good cards.
With nice cards, you just don’t want to hand them out to everyone, only give them to people who really want them or should have it.
Awesome post, Neil. How long did it take you to collect all those photos and write this post? Very creative.
It only took 3 or 4 hours.
Those designs are amazing! I bet most of them cost a mint to make!
I think a few of them cost a few dollars per card.
slick. am rather fond of the sheep one.
The use of the cotton was a nice touch.
These cards a definitely fun to look at, but as a person who receives a lot of business cards, it drives me nuts when I get cards that aren’t the standard size and shape. It also irks me when the cards have a laminate on them or color on the back that doesn’t allow me to write notes on the back of them.
Same here. I hate it when I can’t easily write or bend a card. If I can’t do either one, I usually end up forgetting to contact that individual back.
I’m glad someone agreed with me. I figured with the way all of the other comments were going, that I’d be seen as the grumpy one.
Nope. I even wrote a post that talks about the requirements of a good business card: http://www.quicksprout.com/2007/07/31/what-does-your-business-card-say-about-you/
I wonder from where you have collected all these cards and there images, all are just superb examaples to make the best of it
The best one is of Rakesh Sharma
The After marriage consultant !!
I found them on the web.
I couldn’t imagine the price that some of those people pay for the cards. Some of those have to be over a dollar a card.
Some of them even cost a few dollars.
Which is a heck of a lot of money to be paying for 1 card. You would have to have a biz that has extremely high payouts or just do it for a special occasion. (tradeshow)
For some people it can create a good ROI.
The last one is my favourite, honesty is key!
I am actually creating new business cards off of that design. Glad you like it.
OMG!! That was awesome. I am impressed and awestuck at the same time. It was like it open my eye and give me an idea and some insight to what I should do to brand my business card or my name card whenever I make new friends or introduce myself to other people. Maybe I can make it a personal name card so I can brand myself first before I move to the next step. Nice an inspiration post. Thank you very much, Neil Patel.
No problem! I am glad you liked the business cards.
Each one of these business cards does the job of 10 generic business cards, as far as spreading the message of the company or information about the services that the company provides.
Yes, the majority of these business cards are more effective than normal ones. You too can create a good business card that are cost effective.
As a graphic designer myself, I love seeing cards like this. They are so creative and so much more effective. This just goes to show that spending a little more money on printing can make all the difference. Never be the average Joe. First impressions are everything.
Yep, spending a few cents more could mean more revenue for you company. If you create good cards, I think you can get a return on your investment.
I like the wooden one…
some of the others are no visitcards for me, but only nice experiments.
The wooden one looks cool, but it is unpractical.
Wow, this just made it to my list of perfect web pages! Thanks, I’m always looking for inspiration when designing businesses cards.
Hopefully it helps you create a business card for your company.
I will never be this clever. Some of these look wicked expensive.
You can, you just have to put some thought into it.
Hey Neil another great post. I was trying to figure out which one was going to be my favorite… it was freakin tough to decide, but it’s the “Post Marriage Counseling” one.
In only a few words, that one hits home. Nothing else needs to be said. It’s awesome. Amazing.
Great post and thanks for the time you put into this one.
Cool list. Liked almost all of them. I will come out with my own design. This will serve as inspiration.
Best of luck with creating your own business cards.
Excellent post my man! It just shows how creative you can get when you think outside the box.
Thanks! A bit of creativity can take your business a long way. You just have to be willing to put in the time and effort.
when i ran my custom woodworking shop, my cards were made out of fine cuts of real wood veneer.
i made them myself and while i was finishing customers projects i would apply extra stain and varnish to the wood cards
big hit
people still save my cards even though my retail shop has been closed more than 4 years.
thanks and take care
Bryan
Making your cards yourself isn’t a bad idea, but it would take a long time to make 1000 of them…
ummm is there a way to delete the last comment? wht i meant was i have a great idea for my business card but do not know where to order them
I just deleted it for you.
just wanted to say, that Kevin Mitnick’s “Card pieces” actually ARE able to pick a lock!
he presented them in a show i saw
Greetings from Germany
I’ll have to figure out how I can get one of his business cards…
Yes, there is a video on youtube I saw recently demonstrating a successful lock picking, but now I can’t for the life of me find it.
It could be this video: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/798419/how_to_pick_a_lock/
Good collection of Business cards. But I think it costs a lot to be creative
.
It does. Not only do you have to pay for the cards to be printed, but you have to pay a designer to make you the cool business card.
Time is the only expense that one pays to be creative. What do the others say?
Time is the only resource we have that we can never get back, so use it wisely.
I use crowdspring for a lot of design.. you’ll have about 150 creatives giving you great ideas and then you only pay for one
Not bad. I have had good luck with logoworks.
really i don’t know which one i choose , it is much and i don’t know how to choose between them .
You shouldn’t choose any. For your company, you should create a business card that relates to it. I wouldn’t recommend copying someone else.
If you have a concept in mind, look for a graphic designer rather than a print shop. Aside from cutouts and that sort of thing, if you have the design it should be easy enough to find a company that can create it.
Craigslist might be a good place to look for the talent.
Thanks for the suggestion! It will probably save someone a lot of money.
These cards r all pretty cool.. Nice creativity
I’m sure they cost quite a bit, too. But if they’re really good, it may be worth it 4 marketing….
Good cards don’t have to be expensive. You just have to get creative.
These cards are nice but you need to spend some time in making them in case if you are making lots of it else they look nice
Not necessarily the time, it’s the money per card that’s not worth it.
The one you couldn’t figure out – you said it was gender oriented – I believe it’s for a hair salon. The logo is a pair of scissors and the brown backing on the female card looks like hair.
Ah. Thanks for pointing that out.
The little scissors on the bottom is marking the location; corner of 125 & 34.
Cool. It makes sense now.
Very cool..
My favorite is the HINGE card. I love the kind of red used, and the texture… well, actually everything about it.
It isn’t bad. I like the scratch off card.
I stumbled upon this post via digg. Great work collecting these. I’ve never been very business-oriented and never given a thought to business cards, but there are some great ideas in here. I’m a film major so the Citizen Pictures card appeals to me the most. I may have to create something along those lines. It shouldn’t be as cost-prohibitive as the non-paper cards.
Yea, it took a long time to collect them. Probably 5 hours or so.
Nice selection, Neil. I enjoyed reading your commentary too. Have a great week, and should you ever need a business card designed, feel free to drop me a note.
I will probably drop you a line.
really interesting… I think that whoever writes the captions needs to look up ’simplistic’ in the dictionary though
Yea, not all are simplistic.
“I don’t know what this card is all about, but it would work well with a company that is gender oriented.”
I’m fairly certain that card is for a hair cutting company. One of the backgrounds is hair… and there are shears on the bottom of the card.
Ah, that makes sense.
I love the peanuts but the idea is not practical. The scratch-off is the best by far.
Putting peanuts in your pocket also sucks. You can’t carry that many to give out.
What I find hilarious is that most of these cards are actually the epitome of bad design. Good design, by nature, can mean clever or elegant, but it also means practical, efficient, or easy to use. The vast majority of these cards are none of these last three things.
Think of it this way: a business card needs to do one of two things. Be easily storable for future reference (e.g. in a rolodex, card file, or biz card holder); or be easy to transport until such information can be transferred to a computer or address book.
At no point will I put a card with liquid in it, or seeds, or a metal card, or a clothespin, in my wallet. I also won’t even put the first two in a bag or near a computer. Strangely sized cards or ones made from material other than paper are too big of a pain to transport. They don’t stack neatly, or they don’t fit in your pocket.
This is what’s called “overly gimmicky.” By the time I have your business card, I should want to remember who you are. A clever business card but a mediocre pitch or business won’t make me more likely to call you over someone with a plain business card but a great business.
TJ,
As I read through all the comments, I kept scrolling down wondering why no one said what you just said. Those were my thoughts exactly. Didn’t people learn in Marketing/Business 101 that cutsie business cards are not the way to go?
I have one from a contact that was slightly longer and shorter than the average card. It didn’t fit in my card file until I cut off some of the edges. Now it fits but because it’s shorter, I can’t find it easily even though they’re in alphabetical order.
Cutsie cards are not for business.
Yea, most of these cards are over designed. None-the-less, they look pretty interesting.
A lot of these are the same business cards being posted in a lot of blogs – why bother, if your gonna post cool business cards pick some new ones.
I think in general a lot of the same blog post topics get circulated around the web.
On the card you said you aren’t sure what they are for, but good for gender. I think they are for a hair stylist, if you look close at the silver icon at the bottom they are a paid of scissors open.
Got it. Thanks for pointing that out.
So awesome! Thank you for collecting and treating us to all these inspired ideas.
Glad to hear that. I hope you make a creative business card for yourself.
Excellent bit of research Neil, love these creative business card designs. It’s certainly given me a few ideas. I will give you a shout on our brand new blog and subcribe to your RSS.
Thanks, regards,
Alex
Thanks for subscribing!
This is great. I love business cards…and have definitely not seen the likes of these. Dulcita Love @dulcitalove
The cool thing about these cards is that they are very memorable.
Nice, lots of great idea here. Some are fun, some are just too goofy. LOL. Thanks for sharing Neil!
Jon
No problem. I hope this inspired you to create a unique card.
You should have left Kevin Mitnick’s card off the list, even if it does seem cool. First of all, in some localities it is illegal to possess lock picks unless you are licensed (locksmith, security, etc.). Second – the thieving harassing bastich shouldn’t be doing anything more technical than flipping burgers or wrapping horsemeat in burritos after what he has done…
I get that, but I think he was very creative with the card design…
Great article! Now if I could only find someone to help me come up with one for me and my business.
You just have to create a good one for your business.
Hi Neil,
I’m pretty much impressed by your collection. But which companies are offering such gr8 Business Cards?
… and how much do they cost?
Your examples here seem to be rather expensive in some cases, like the one with the lock pickers.
Any idea where to get really impressive B.Cards in the web?
None that I know of. You have to create them yourself.
They must cost a lot! Really cool ideas though, you’d certainly stand out.
They do and in many cases they aren’t worth it.
Wow – very unique ideas! I’d be afraid someone would cut themselves on the razor card though.
Or worse, stab themselves with a broken peanut card.
Thanks for a very entertaining article! I am in the process of finalizing my business cards for a new company (this has been going on for several months because I am a perfectionist to the point of bordering on an obsession) so I found this article very interesting…and amusing! Most of these business card concepts are completely ridiculous and, come to think of it, I guess that’s the point! The intention is to get people talking about the company – or, if the owner is very lucky, get their card included in an article like this! The only card that was really different but still useful and at the same time interesting (in my opinion) was lush. Now THAT was a cool business card. I could see doing the same thing without even being in the landscaping business. Everyone appreciates flower seeds in the Spring or forever stamps or even a couple of extra cards – for referrals. Damn the luck though. Thanks to you I may have to go back to the drawing table all over again!
Hopefully this blog post inspired your thinking.
Fantastic ideas. Some are obviously more “do-able” than others. I used to try for the cheapest cards I could find–just plain vanilla cards. And I’d be shocked at car salespeople or boat salespeople or real estate folks who would go for 4-color, photographic, printed-on-both sides cards that would sometimes be upwards of $3/card. But if you consider that they sometimes can make $10,000 (the boat and real-estate folks) on what they sell, the return on investment is good. Also, many folks get their cards printed and then just store them in the box in a closet. Then, it’s a total waste of money. The best thing to do with business cards is to GET THEM OUT THERE! Make them do their job. Make them get attention driven to your business. If they aren’t doing that, then you’ve wasted your money. Nice post… nice pictures … and great comments.
Yea a lot are really hard to do. I wonder who made these cards.
I love Kevin Mitnick’s — I’d hire him in a second.
Who wouldn’t! He is a pimp.
Just too cool!!!! Love the idea! What a great way to stand out. The other person would invariably take a closer look and perhaps ask more questions leading to some interesting conversation. And most important… they will remember you:-) What a great brand idea to use at networking events. Thanks for the share:-)
If I got one of these cards, I would remember the person and go to their website afterward.
not that anyone cares, but the word’s edible, not eatable. for the chewing gum looking one.
sorry, someone was wrong on the internet again, had to say something.
Thanks for pointing that out. Someone always cares.
we love your money !! sweet!
That was my favorite card.
>”Gender oriented…”
Hair cutter?
Yep, it is a hair salon.
Allergy alert. I was frightened by the peanut.
LOL. Who would have thought someone would be allergic to a business card.
I need same idea for my site… lets think about it
Get creative… brainstorm with other people.
“I don’t know what this card is all about, but it would work well with a company that is gender oriented.”
Well, the two cards with the male and female heads on it are quite obviously for a hair salon– note the hair being what is cut out of the design nd the sliding internal card with the hair print on it– as well as the scissors in the business symbol on the bottom.
Thanks for explaining!
K so the balloon one is for an asthma center. Couldn’t blowing up a balloon induce an asthma attack?
Otherwise, neat!
LOL, I think it may.
Inspirational! Just what I needed to get me going on designing my own card for BeautyGrail
Just don’t get too creative like some of these cards. Many of them aren’t useful.
Wow, what a great collection. Perhaps I will take some ideas for my next business cards
You should. The best way to be creative is to analyze other people’s work.
Dear Neil Patel, thats right. Looking forward for some new collections from you …
I am not sure if I can find enough cards to do another post like this, but I will try.
I like the openness and refreshing concepts of each design. The creativity of each design invokes many emotions.
Very Good. As for TedEx – maybe you could change it around while using the same type fount and colours -TeDx.
Have fun.
What do you think?
I am still not a fan. I think he only did it to get some attention.
I want to create my one business card with inkscape vector drawing, please can you help me
I would hit up a designer. They could probably help you a lot more than me.
The card that is “gender orientated” is marketing a hair styling business. You can tell because the logo is a pair of scissors, but looks like a regular cross hair. And the texture used for the female card isn’t wood, its actually hair. I love that one the most in my opinion. It really plays with the depth of the card and allows the textures to move, change and be tangible.
Yep. It took me a while to figure it out…
The one that is “gender specific” is a hair parlor business card. If you look at the bottom the little symbol is scissors.
Thanks for pointing that out.
Hi, really nice idea; came across a metal business card the other day (http://www.irshadkhan.com/metalbusinesscard.jpg).
Really nice design and quality.
I will check it out. Thanks for the link.
The one that is “gender specific†is a hair parlor business card. If resimler you look at the bottom the little symbol is scissors.
Thanks for the heads up.
You know most of my biz is done over the web but everyone in a while i get a request for a biz card. This really opens up some possbilities. I make custom fortune cookies, any ideas???
Create a fortune cookie of a house that people can live in or the world’s biggest fortune cookie.
I really love these innovative business cards, they really stand out from your conventional business card.
They do. I just wish I made my last company cards a bit more creative.
Awesome list! It seems like there really is no limit to what you can do with business cards. Only limited by a designer’s imagination.
Nope, you can also use your imagination.
In many cases whimsical and clever, but expensive in large quantities. As such, I’d ask “what’s the ROI on this medium?”
In most cases little to nothing. You want to figure out a middle ground and not go too crazy.
This is a great collection. I read in Engineering & Technology Magazine that Lego business cards are little Lego men/women with the staffer’s name and contact details printed on the front, which would be a nice addition here.
Those lego business cards look cool. It would just be hard to fit a lot of those in your pocket.
Awesome list, and awesome trail of comments! We have collected a small list of really creative ones too, here: http://www.thegraphicdesignschool.com/blog/advertising/your-business-card-is-crap-note-quite/
Comments welcome!
Cool, thanks for sharing the link.
I love these designs. I’m currently looking for someone to create a unique business card for my company so if anyone has an ideas on who to approach please get in touch.
You should check out http://www.inkd.com.
These are great. There is only one I have seen that should be on this list. It is a business card that turns into a slingshot.
Awesome! I have never seen that card. Please link me to it if you can.
Can wee see that card? It comes with bullets too?
Although several people have talked about the TedEx card here, no one seems to have caught the air freshener card trademark infringement. The “Little Tree” shape is actually trademarked by the company, and they are proactive about protecting it, even to taking out full-page ads in design magazines. http://www.little-trees.com/us/trademarks.php?section=trademarks
Ah, I didn’t ever think about that one. Thanks for pointing that out.
Wow I really like the bloody one at the top. Makes you squirm!
Yea, it is a cool card, but it sucks how you can’t write on it. That is why I prefer cards that are made out of paper.
I really haven’t ever written on a card, I know that its a great spot to take notes about someone but have yet to do it. I personally would prefer plastic cards or metal
The uniqueness factor works for many, but not for all. Sometimes, the paper ones are best to take notes on, other times it’s your creativity.
You should check out http://www.WriteAndPass.com
They sell dirty flirties:
Business cards strictly for the business of getting down to business!
That’s pretty funny – cards for people who don’t have a business.
Not just that, but if you were the one handing out a cloths pin, how many could you carry in your pocket?
lol… yeah, you’re probably limited to only a handful. Even that would make your night uncomfortable at the least.
Wow these are some really neat looking cards. I love how you point out some of the downsides to the seemingly clever marketing strategy. In these cases it would have been better if they opted for the regular paper card. There are so many interesting ways that these people have tried to get their information out there! The people behind the cards will definitely stand out amongst the competition.
Till then,
Jean
It’s how you actually distribute the cards that actually count too. These cards are expensive to make, so make sure you hand em out accordingly.
All these artistic business card ideas I love. I’m thinking of getting the Red liquid one. I’m a strong believer of business cards being big representation of your personality.
They are fantastic ideas, but don’t rely on them to get you business. Follow up is what gives you sales.
Some of designs are very old. I have seen them before. Paper cards looks a little bit cheaper than metal business cards.
I just love these cards, it’s so important to manage to catch the eye! I bet these will bring food on the table way better than the older white cards! Good job to those who made them for creativity and leaving the boring business world of before far behind us! Good food for though
Creativity is definitely something that is important to do, but it’s not as important as making a phsyical connection.
I think the ticket stub one is my favorite.
Reading your comments I find it interesting that the card that seemed to generate the most buzz was the TedEx play off the FedEx logo.
I wonder if the owner got the idea from going to Grateful Dead or Phish shows and seeing all of the different ways the T-shirt designers use lyrics or song titles and tie them in with popular corporate logos.
For example, a popular Grateful Dead T-shirt displays the Mountain Dew logo on a green T-shirt, with the verbiage redone as “Morning Dew” (a classic Dead tune). There are countless other examples.
Great post! Thank you.
Yeah, even though it looks great, you need to be careful as it might be a violation of some kind of trademark or copyright.
Nice business cards you can pay .10 more cents for a uniqe card next thing you know your getting more sales. why pay .15 cents for somthing you know wont get you attention when you can pay .30 cents and double your sales.
Yeah, it’s a good idea to shop around because some of them can be super expensive.
Nice post!
These business cards will indeed make you look twice. And that’s a good thing since the client will remember you.
I always find the plastic business cards really interesting.
The Poul Neilsen one is really clever, it really represents his trade.
I have a collection of interesting business cards in my blog too, you should check it out sometime.
Yes these cards are definitely amazing, but really not practical. They’re are just way to expensive…
Actually if you go to most marketing firms (not print shops) they can design business cards like you see above.
Yes they can, but you gotta remember… they’ll run you a pretty penny. Focus on building a personal connection instead.
Inspirational! Just what I needed to get me going on designing my own card for BeautyGrail
Cool! Just don’t go spending too much money on creating a card… focus on personal connections instead.
I really like the designs of your business cards, this is a cool way to present our business services. Something that will make the customers keep your business in mind.
Some of them are amazing aren’t they? Honestly, I think that it’s just way too expensive to buy these types of cards in bulk. You’ll have to be very picky on who you give a card to
Many Designers and Artists very often limited their creativity by the printed material they were provided either from their client’s budget or the press limitation.
Designing a attractive Business Card require knowledge of prepress and experience.
These are some of the effect may become handy when you are designing your Business Card.
1) Make sure your color is consistent(CMYK).
2) Also Outline all your fonts and embeded all images.
3) All images should be in 300dpi at it’s actual size.
4) Bleed area is very important for all printers.
5) Offset printing are most prefer, because they have better quality and you can have more effect apply to your design. however it will increase your cost of print.
6) Chose your card stock; thickness, finish on the card surface such as laminated, or the cheaper way with coating(most common).
Together Production Creative Group Inc., we are a specialty printer who offer silk laminated card stock(laminated 2 sides) on a 14 point card stock paper.
We also provide unlimited finishing such as Emboss, Spot UV, Die cut, Stamp Foiling, Round Corner(s), and all of these are set with “NO SETUP FEE”. This means you can enjoy your card to be unique eevry time with custom shape and effect.
And there is more we are a company focus on trade printing. We offer 10% – 30% reseller discount to all resellers and brokers. This is depending on your volume. Shipping and blind shipping is offer.
Email me directly for more information.
michael@togetherproduction.com
604 288 0910
Together Production Creative Group Inc.
209 – 223 West Broadway, Vancouver BC Canada
I love them all! I came up with my own unique business card idea at http://www.PromoBills.com. Instead of handing out a regular business card, I can hand out “Million Dollar Bills” with all my contact info. If you like them let me know and I can make them for you too and customize them however you want
That’s great Leif…they look awesome, thanks for sharing that bud!!
Thanks my friend great work. I like the wooden one…
Yeah, I agree, it’s pretty unique. Very expensive though, so you’ll have to hand them out selectively.
There are lot of them to like, but also are some stupid designs among them. A balloon? C’mon…
I laughed a lot after seeing some of these card. Who in the world would use a business card in the form of a razor blade and which is also sharp?????
While searching for creative business cards on net, you come across some repeated describing words such as…exciting, amazing, awesome, coolest, hottest and many more. I have also compiled business cards with all these qualities but I will be presenting them in a little different way.
Good for you, I think that’s a fantastic idea! Let us know when you compile that list.
Eye-catching business cards? Yes, of course!
Collection of particular plastic business cards:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/biglietti_da_visita/stats/
630 business cards and more…
by pinkograf.com
Great list, but you need to make it so one doesn’t have to login in to see them.
I love the clear designed business card. The clothes pin is a bit much, because I don’t know who would carry that around. On the other had most people would keep a souvenir like that. The dog tags are also a great one. Thanks for sharing Neil.
Eye-catching business cards? Yes, of course!
That’s what it takes, but unfortunately, they are a bit too costly to be effective.
Hello ,
I am a Computer Network Analyst/Consultant but i need a card that says what i do when i give it out to people cos’ i want my card to be simple. a card that describe what i do even when looking @ it.
Well you can take some ideas from these cards, but don’t spend too much to create them… as it might not make financial sense for you to do it.
very very good for design.
I like the cards that have utility, such as the “ruler” card. Ensures it’ll stay in my wallet, around my desk.
I stayed at a campground in Salmo, BC a few years back and their business cards were river rocks with the info written on them in Sharpie. They were even mindful of the “rubbing” side of the rock, and mine has a wonderful smooth groove for rubbing and a flat side with the writing!
This is a nice post. I’ve learned a lot from it. Very nice design
Thanks bud, it’s fantastic to know that you’re finding the content effective.
Great collection. Here are some great techniques to create unique business cards: http://ljdesignstudio.com/techniques-to-create-unique-business-cards
I laughed a lot after seeing some of these card. Who in the world would use a business card in the form of a razor blade and which is also sharp?????
hahah, yeah, not the smartest idea huh.
Who can help design a cool, creative, unique biz card for a Realtor??
I would stay away from finding something too cool and creative. You’re better off with simple and just going out and talking to people.
I like the cards that have utility, such as the “ruler” card. Ensures it’ll stay in my wallet, around my desk.
haha, yeah, that’ll probably be one of the only things you really need.
You have a nice collection of unique and simple business cards. Very inspiring!
I had never thought that business cards can look so effective. They are especially great for creative businesses. However, I would not like to keep a gillette business card, for example. Also, I prefer business cards that are more or less in a classic size as I would not take, for example, a peanut every where I go and I would probably eat it if I am hungry
Lol… yeah, the uniqueness of the cards are amazing aren’t they.
hmm i need business cards for my hotels, maybe i can have some those look like this.
It would definitely look awesome!
Awesome list! It seems like there really is no limit to what you can do with business cards. Only limited by a designer’s imagination
Yes exactly… times have really changed as to the type of designs that were available only a few years ago.
Lol… yeah, the uniqueness of the cards are amazing aren’t they.
Yes the absolutely are… only the price is a little unrealistic for each card though.
hmm i need business cards for my hotels, maybe i can have some those look like this.
Yeah, throw a couple of those ideas against the wall and see what sticks.
A nice collection of cards here. Just a few things I noticed which you may wish to change…
-The “ruler” card is a type ruler, something which is extremely useful but not everyone has. Very appropriate for a designer and potentially useful for his clients.
-There is a difference between “eatable” and “edible.”
-The card with the slide-out chips change the hair colors of the people on them. That combined with the styling scissors in the logo would lead one to believe that it’s for a hair salon, wouldn’t you think?
Yes I can see what you mean by that but I don’t most people would catch that unless it’s pointed out and explained.
times have really changed as to the type of designs that were available only a few years ago. Good article
Now-a-days, the skys the limit when it comes to design… what’s next…. maybe cards that are 3D?
3D Business cards, hmm…. nice idea! however great post i can’t choose which one is best.
Wow. Great collection of business cards and pictures. Maybe I can use one of these designs for my new business cards
By all means, take which ever card design you like best… just don’t spend an arm or leg creating it.
Good article very interesting my friend
Thanks was very useful article
I read your article.The things you have written sound very sincere and nice topics i am looking forward to its continuation. Many of us don’t know about this event.
Your post is helpful.
Great collection of business cards and pictures. Maybe I can use one of these designs for my new business cards
Sure, just don’t spend too much money on the design as it’s usually not necessary.
Great post! We also design business cards for large companies.
That’s great! Do you guys have any unique designs that you’ve done recently?
The Diesel Design ones are a great idea, but the packaging lets them down, puts across a strong team message though. I don’t like the blood effect design though.
It does look kind of weird doesn’t it. It is catchy though and will definitely draw some attention.
I think the ticket stub one is my favorite.
Yeah it definitely looks cool doesn’t it.
LOL! I used to be in the printing game, we did bulk full-color business card specials, and I’ve seen 1000’s of designs come through the shop, but few could hold a candle to this selection. My favorite is the metal office furniture card. Not cheap, but really special and unlikely to be tossed.
Yes, definitely expensive, but chances of it being thrown away are slim.
See through ones are always cool… I do not like bulky ones. Someone tthat is strong and creative like the blood one is awesome!
Yeah, those are definitely keepers, but probably extremely expensive.
Some great card examples here, I have seen some of them before but I haven’t seen the wooden engraved one – it is so cool!
Very cool, isn’t it?
I can say WOW! I never seen such business cards like these, and even the weirdest card I think, the balloon ones, rofl. BTW thanks for the share, 2 thumbs up!
Mike
Thanks! Yes, very true that these cards are awesome… it’s fun to see what people come up with.
I am organizing a football event for clients at the moment. I can use your information very good to prepare Business Cards now.
Jan
Glad to hear it! Just remember you don’t NEED to get to crazy with the cards, focus on being unique, but cost efficient.
An amazing collection Neil. I thought that the radio presenter and the “stamp” cards where very creative.
They are very interesting cards, no doubt. Creativity ends up costing you a lot of money with business cards though lol.
I have never been great business cards. Im pretty plain when it comes to this area of business. These are some great ideas tho.
Sometimes the KISS method works best so you’re probably doing the right thing… not to mention the most cost effective method.
These are all really neat. My favorites have got to be the lock picker and the last one we love you(r money). Great post. It gives me something to think about. Now I want to change my card.
Yeah they definitely are fun cards.
Dood, this is awesome. Lots of creative ideas here. Just got done reading Bill Glazer’s book on outrageous marketing. He talks a lot about direct mail, but many of the ideas cross over. Your business card is a chance to make yourself stand out, and some of these definitely do that.
The best one I ever got handed to me had a packet of seeds in it, was from an organic clothing company at a trade show. I definitely didn’t throw that one out when I got home!
I buried it and it’s now a huge sunflower plant in my yard… awesome! Thanks for the post, Neil.
Robb
lol, that’s pretty funny the way that all worked out.
yes too its great and interesting
Yeah, they definitely get you to look twice.
I think business card should be such which by seeing conveys the meaning of the business. It should make an impact in persons mind so whenever he want services such like yours he should remember your card and so can contact you. What all say for this?
I agree that they should be impactuful, but spending the amount that these guys pay is just cost ineffective.
Some of those designs would be pretty expensive, I would be reluctant to hand out the card.
I agree, that’s why I wouldn’t just invest my money on something like that.
Some of these are unbelievable – it would be such a big impact to hand out one of these. I’m going to research further and put some thought into something different for my business cards.
Yeah ti would be great, but unfortunately it costs way too much to implement.
Great content is a problem if you don’t know how to write in English. For me it’s a serious case, i would write a blog but i’m lacking the skills to write. My mother language is Estonian and i speak english pretty well, but not that well that i could write a blog.
Basically what i understand is that i have to start taking some literature classes in English
That’s probably going to be your best bet if you plan to do business online.
It is apporpriate to use “and” at the begining of a sentence. The correct way to do so would be to use it as an interjection followed by a comma. It is similar to saying “Further more,…”
What do you do exactly?
I blog
hiii……………i am a swimming coach and want to deseign a card naming my academy’s name. it must be unique and waterproof.