Baseball and Zombies!

Last quarter, our packaging class was challenged with the task of creating special edition packaging for the Louisville Slugger. Now I don't ever play baseball or watch it unless I am at an actual game, so my emotional connection to the sport is limited. 

I knew that in order to produce something worthwhile I would have to find a connection to the subject matter in some way, shape, or form. I did know that I love zombies....

A zombified self portrait I did a few quarters ago

...And I did know that baseball bats come in handy when fighting zombies.

Bingo.

I brought the idea up in class kind of as a joke, but the teacher loved it and encouraged me to go in that direction. So my concept became a world where zombies rule and baseball never existed.  In this world the Louisville Sluggers are the number one tool used to take out zombies. 

I got to do a lot of "research" such as watch Sean of the Dead and Zombieland as well as a slew of other zombie movies. I also read the first few installments of "The Walking Dead" comic book series.

My first paper mock up.  Notice the bat suspended in the middle

The package itself was to be something like one of those red fire extinguisher cases you find in school hallways. But in this case it would read, "IN CASE OF ZOMBIES BREAK GLASS".  And, of course, the glass would be broken and the whole thing would be covered in blood splatters.

Another mock up

Working on the box

The beginnings of the bat wielding character to be used on the box

The finished back of the box with the legend of the Louisville Slugger in a world full of zombies.

"AIM FOR THEIR HEADS!!!"

The finished box.  It is hard to see the broken shards of glass around the front but they are there. I will get professional pics eventually.

Notice the bloodied and dented bat.  I wanted to leave the impression that it had been used a lot but always put back in the case for the next person to use.

My critique panels loved both my concept and the execution! They seemed to think that something like this could actually sell. Cool!

The accompanying poster.

I  made this video just for fun in my After Effects class

Louisville Slugger Zombie from Michael Schwalm on Vimeo.

Me on the left and my friends in line for the Atlanta  Zombie Apocalypse before haloween.