W/S is so Saucy: Spreading Client Love on Valentine’s Day

When it comes to client appreciation, Wier / Stewart doesn’t follow the crowd—they follow their heart. “Why would W/S pick Valentine’s Day?” you may ask. Instead of adding yet another gift basket to the December pileup, the creative agency found its own sweet spot in February, turning Valentine’s Day into an annual celebration of originality, humor, and heartfelt gratitude.

Each year, their tongue-in-cheek Valentine’s box delivers a little design magic, a lot of personality, and a reminder that thoughtfulness and timing can make a brand’s gesture unforgettable. We chatted with Kristine and Leonard of W/S to learn how this tradition started, what inspires their ever-clever concepts, and how they walk that fine line between clever and cheeky in true Wier / Stewart style.

Showpony: How did Valentine’s become the holiday W/S chose for client appreciation?
Kristine: We obviously love our clients, so it was an easy holiday to embrace. It also lets us be a little different and gives our long-time clients something to look forward to after the Christmas rush. And I don’t hate the extra time to plan and prep it!

S: What thoughts do you have when given the task of designing the box for your clients?
Leonard: When it comes to the Valentine’s box, the design approach I take starts as a reaction against the previous year’s look, so that they are visibly different. The design is driven by the appropriateness of whatever the new concept is. Last year was for a Half Marathon and my version of the Memphis design style from the 80s. This year was BBQ sauce at a circus picnic.

S: In general, what do you think is most impactful about W/S’s client appreciation gift?
K: It shows our clients that we will never run out of good ideas. We’ve been doing Valentine’s boxes for years now and have never sent the same thing twice. Each year, we look forward to one-upping ourselves and the challenge that presents. I hope our clients see that and know we take the same approach to all the great work we get to do with them.

S: How did this year’s concept come about?
L: We had a meeting with everyone in the office and we all pitched our ideas. There is always a very wide variety...some silly, some with double and triple entendres. SJo’s Saucy idea was the pick of this year’s litter.

S: There is definitely a thin line y’all walk with what’s appropriate. How do you navigate those waters between being fun, cheeky, and dare I say, sexy, but not too vulgar or offensive in our post MTV’s Singled Out world?
L: I feel like it’s the most fun when you are weaving back and forth across the dotted line of appropriateness. We keep it family-friendly like a Disney movie, and some of the jokes are only obvious to those who are older.
K: Do not come to our brainstorming session. That’s where we have to establish the line and then take a few steps either behind or over it. Safe to say it’s our most “interesting” meeting all year...but I think we typically land somewhere in the classy yet slightly eyebrow-raising realm, and that's probably the sweet spot.

S: Did any of the recipients send back perfume-scented love letters of appreciation, or any late-night weekend text messages asking, “You up?”
K: Hahaha, not yet. But we have gotten variations of Valentine’s boxes inspired by us, which was cool! 

S: If you were giving advice to a friend who wanted to send client appreciation gifts for their company, are there any pro-tips you’d care to share?
K: Work with Showpony, of course! They’ll find the best items that fit within your theme, including some things you never would have even thought of. Also, set yourself a clear budget and theme from the start. You need to have parameters to work in to make sure you build the best box for your needs. 

S: Finally, if you could have added a soundtrack to the box, what song would each of you pick?
K: Paul McCartney - “Maybe I'm Amazed”
L: Jacknife Lee - “I Love Your Sauce”

If you are wondering ‘what’s in the box?’, we’ll surely tell you! The first thing you need to know about grilling is the internal temperature of your meat, so we included is the Foldable Food “Hot-O-Meter”. Now once you've got your meat hot, you’ll wanna get right in there and tear it up with the Meat Shredder Claws with Wooden Handles. Now it’s time to get saucy and spice things up a bit with Woodside Kitchen's HOT LIPS! Hot & Spicy BBQ Sauce. We slipped the bottle into something a little more comfortable in the form of a Durable Faux Foil Custom Label. Hey, things can get a little messy, so to get all cleaned up, we threw in some “This Is Not A Condom” Custom Wet Wipe Packets. And we can’t forget about the very handsome Custom Mailer Box designed our special Valentine...Porkchop!

Our very own Pony, Lindsay, did an amazing unboxing for you to scope out on our Instagram!