CDW — John Jordan Design

Turning Direct Mail Into a Door-Opener for Fast-Growing B2B Brand

As a Senior Art Director, I developed high-impact direct mail for CDW aimed at C-level executives, IT directors, and technology managers. The assignment was simple: create concepts bold enough to break through crowded desks and packed inboxes, while still feeling credible, strategic, and sales-focused for a major B2B technology brand.

Challenge

From 2003–2006, CDW was scaling fast as a leading direct marketer of technology products and services. It served more than 400,000 active commercial customers, shipped roughly 36,000 boxes per day in Q4 2003, and relied on a high-volume direct model built around one-on-one account relationships. In that environment, direct mail could not be passive—it had to earn attention instantly and support a highly performance-driven sales organization

Execution

Created attention-grabbing mail pieces designed to stand out physically and visually the moment they hit a desk. The work used unexpected formats, tactile structures, pull-tabs, folds, inserts, and dimensional packaging to spark curiosity while keeping the message tied to real business needs—security, storage, networking, productivity, and infrastructure. The goal was always the same: stop the recipient, make the offer feel relevant, and give CDW’s sales team a stronger opening with high-value decision-makers.

Results

The company generated about $4.7B in net sales in 2003. By 2005, full-year sales reached about $6.3B, and by 2006, annual sales hit $6.785B, with record quarterly and annual sales reported that year.