76. MRA
Sometimes bad and ugly can be good, and nothing makes a better example of this than the NogDerm patch card. Even the name is ugly, and everybody loves it.

“Every year we try to do something out of the ordinary with our holiday card,” says creative director Tom Merrick. The Nog- Derm patch idea was hatched by Jonathan Richman and Emily Yurko, who took inspiration—if you can call it that—from the drab style of ad-making favored by drug companies.

“Jonathan wrote some of the most hilarious copy I had ever read, and Emily came up with the idea of making the whole thing look as bad and as institutional as possible. She actually had to suppress her considerable design talents on this card,” says Merrick. “The addition of the ‘swoop’ graphic elements and cheesy stock photo only added to the effect.”

The punch line of this delightfully unattractive card is the inclusion of an actual “patch” made from fabric stock. At first glance, the recipient thinks they’ve gotten a drug sample in the mail. Those who take a closer look are rewarded with the funniest holiday greeting they’ll get. “The NogDerm card succeeded beyond our wildest dreams,” Merrick says. “The only downside to making a holiday card this good is trying to top it.” Romy Ashby