ELITE FAN CRATE
Become ALL ELITE yourself with the Elite Fan Crate!
Collect exclusive wrestling merch with mystery crates
for Diehard AEW Fans!
Software
Adobe Ilustrator
Adobe Dimension
Skills
Package Design
Graphic Design
The Mission
Elite Fan Crate aimed to reimagine the branding and box design of AEW's "All Elite Crate" wrestling subscription box.
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It merges the new branding and feel of AEW while keeping the original shape and consistency that is expected of the original All Elite Crate.
Design Process & Early Designs
The brand explored numerous iterations and directions for the logo, typeface, and box design. The development of the "CRATE" typeface involved several stages. I aimed to infuse dynamism into the logo while preserving AEW's trademark squared text. The chosen design exudes an energetic, action-packed vibe that complements the "Elite Fan" text effectively. The box surrounding "Elite Fan" also underwent several iterations before settling on the three-quarters box, paying homage to the original AEW logo.
The selection of wrestler outlines on the left and right sides of the lid required careful consideration of which wrestlers to include. Ultimately, it was decided to feature 12 wrestlers in total, with 6 on each side.
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The 6 on the left side are: Matthew & Nicholas Jackson (The Young Bucks), "The Wolf of Wrestling" M.J.F, "The Patriarch" Christian Cage, AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland, "Switchblade" Jay White, and "Scapegoat" Jack Perry.
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The 6 on the right side are: Adam Cole (Bay Bay), "The Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada, "Absolute" Ricky Starks, AEW International Champion Will Ospreay, "The Best Bout Machine" Kenny Omega
and "Hangman" Adam Page.
Early Design Process
Final Results
Crate Contents
T-Shirt Belly Bands
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The belly bands were among the initial elements I conceived and designed for the Elite Fan Crate. My goal was to introduce another dimension of professional wrestling into the fan experience, going beyond just the act of unboxing.
The top belly band is for the Jeff Hardy Face Paint shirt. I took the Purple and Green that the AEW designers had used for the shirt and add them to this. On the left in purple is Jeff doing a signature Hardy Bros pose with the left hand doing his brother Matt's "V1" gesture and his signature hand gun gesture. On the right in green is Jeff doing his "Swanton Bomb" in mid air. There are also two of his AEW Logos in white on the left and right of the "Jeff Hardy" text.
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The bottom belly band features a re-imagined style of the All Elite Wrestling International Championship. When finding out that Will Ospreay was apart of the June 2024 crate, I wanted to do something different. Since Will recently won the AEW International Title at their "Double or Nothing" Pay-Per-View, I wanted to add the title to it. The edges are cut off (the white lines) and when wrapped on the shirt, it looks more like a true title belt. It can also double as a paper title for little kids or big kids to somewhat wear.
MJF Luggage Tag​
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The luggage tag was something towards the end that I came up with the idea. The art on the front cover with MJF belongs to AEW and the AEW designers, I do not own the rights to this image. I thought it would be a cool collectible that subscribers of the crate would enjoy receiving. The back is a simple burberry pattern as that is the scarf of choice for Mr. Freidman. It also has a very simple white box with black text for the customer's travel information.
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Gatefold for "Hangman" Adam Page Autograph​
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In the traditional subscription boxes that include autographs, they come in a basic tan or white envelope and then taped shut. I wanted to design something much more engaging and exciting for the customer.
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The outside Gate Fold has the "Elite Fan Crate" logo on the front cover with "Autograph" underneath it to let the customer know what this is holding. The top flaps have the "Elite Fan Crate" logo in a connecting pattern across both flaps. The side flaps have AEW's television shows listed along with the days and times they are shows on TV.
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The inside Gate Fold has more photo elements than design elements. The two top flaps show two photos of the wrestler on the bottom, their respective logo on the top right and a small list of accomplishments on the top left. The main inside panel and side flaps unfold into one large photograph that also houses the autograph inside. This could also double as another poster/hangable collectable for the customer to have.
Items Display Card​
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This dual-sided card contains information regarding the contents of the crate. The front side (bottom) has the main AEW logo, Elite Fan Crate logo, a title for the crate this being the "June 2024 Past, Present & Future Crate," as well as a warning that "The other side of this card contains spoilers for this crate"
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The back side (top) of the card also has the Elite Fan Crate logo and title of the crate along with all 10 items in the box. Each item is listed in black text inside a white or gray box with a photo of that wrestler in the cutout to the left. The photos are framed inside of the an outline of the main All Elite Wrestling World Championship to bring every together.
Assets Used
The assets displayed below, including the Will Ospreay T-Shirt and Jeff Hardy T-Shirt, were utilized in the design and merchandise for the "Elite Fan Crate." I want to clarify that I do not own any of these designs or hold licenses for them. They belong to All Elite Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Tees, and their respective designers.
Unboxing Video