I was hired by Vertex International to create a luxury playing card product for the Las Vegas market...
After extensive research, I decided to use the back design to tell the story of Rafael Rivera who was searching for a route from Santa Fe to Los Angeles, upon discovering the area he named it Las Vegas (The meadows). The story continues as it becomes an incubator of luxury life giving birth to sprawling casinos and hotels which end up causing the meadows to fail becoming the desert landscape we all know today. "Pulling back the curtains" reveals the The center of the cards featuring a poker chip designed with the company logo and the alchemical symbol for alcohol representing Vegas' role in prohibition and the growth of super casinos represented by the world famous fountains. The lights around the outside flicker and flash as the cards are tilted giving the effect of being right on the vegas strip and the fountains come to life with the meticulously illustrated holographic water effect. The dollar signs in the corners represent the C.R.E.A.M. (cash rules everything around me) mentality of the wealthy elite who make Vegas their playground. At the top of the card watching over it all is Lady Luck, who can make or break dreams of the gamblers hoping to make their fortunes.
After extensive research, I decided to use the back design to tell the story of Rafael Rivera who was searching for a route from Santa Fe to Los Angeles, upon discovering the area he named it Las Vegas (The meadows). The story continues as it becomes an incubator of luxury life giving birth to sprawling casinos and hotels which end up causing the meadows to fail becoming the desert landscape we all know today. "Pulling back the curtains" reveals the The center of the cards featuring a poker chip designed with the company logo and the alchemical symbol for alcohol representing Vegas' role in prohibition and the growth of super casinos represented by the world famous fountains. The lights around the outside flicker and flash as the cards are tilted giving the effect of being right on the vegas strip and the fountains come to life with the meticulously illustrated holographic water effect. The dollar signs in the corners represent the C.R.E.A.M. (cash rules everything around me) mentality of the wealthy elite who make Vegas their playground. At the top of the card watching over it all is Lady Luck, who can make or break dreams of the gamblers hoping to make their fortunes.
