Over the years we have been lucky enough to have been commissioned by The Royal Mail to design numerous sets of postage stamps.

The subjects featured have ranged from Beano characters to Romantic Poets, from the Great Fire of London to Coronation Street. This time it wasn’t the stamps we were designing but all the products that carry and support the issue such as the first Day covers, presentation packs, handstamps etc and in this particular case a souvenir pack. The subject? the amazing career of superstar musician Elton John.

After belting his back catalogue across the studio for several days (there’s a lot to get through when you consider he’s had 69 top 40 singles in the UK) and eventually tiring of singing along to the puntastic ‘I’m still stamping’ we got down to work.

The souvenir pack was to commemorate Elton’s iconic Dodger Stadium gig and the brief asked us to include the spectacular b/w reportage images taken on the day by celebrity photographer Terry O’Neill.

Aside from Elton’s music he is famously known for his love of over the top stage costumes and in particular his passion for outlandish eyewear, it seemed too good an opportunity to miss.

By printing the images in 3D they could only be truly experienced by wearing a pair of specially commissioned star shaped 3D glasses which were included within the pack and when worn, not only paid homage to the musician himself, but drew you into the images making the wearer almost feel like they were at the gig.

Looking back, rarely has the solution to a brief seemed so obvious but yet so perfect. The pack went on to win several design awards.