Despite my criticism of the official 83rd annual Academy Awards ill-fitted envelope (Hall of Shame #12), I would be remiss if I didn’t call attention to Tom Hanks’s envelope comment at the top of the Oscars show.

“These envelopes are works of art themselves,” said Hanks before awarding Wally Pfister with the Best Cinematography award.

No wonder he’s known as Hollywood’s Nicest Guy.

The envelope was characteristically Oscar gold, embossed with a beaux arts pattern and a faux wax seal closure.  It was fancy, just like all those dresses on the red carpet.  What the Oscar producers don’t know about proper envelope construction, they do know about branding.   They recognize that the envelope is one of the biggest elements of anticipation and dare I say, drama of the Academy Awards:  “And the winner is…. (Envelope)!”

So I’d like to thank Tom Hanks and the Academy for letting the world know the importance of a good envelope.  And we’d be happy to do a consult next year so that their envelope works as good as it looks.

–Sari McConnell at smcconnell@conformer.com