Ultra Magic Balloons work with hot air balloons and show balloons—a niche market where standing out matters. They wanted something unexpected: a branded card deck that was fun, educational, and unforgettable. Not just marketing collateral, but a genuine product people would want to play with.
The brief was refreshingly open: create a Top Trumps-style card game that showcased their balloons and gave clients something tangible to remember them by.
We designed a full deck of 35 custom playing cards titled Magic Trumps. Each card features a different hot air balloon with key specifications—volume, basket capacity, agility—laid out like a traditional Top Trumps game, but grounded in real product data.
The challenge was balancing educational content with visual excitement. The layout had to work at small card size, making specs easy to read whilst keeping the balloon imagery dominant. We created stylised balloon illustrations and a clear visual hierarchy so the data didn’t overwhelm the design.
We applied the Ultra Magic brand colours—deep navy with a fresh yellow accent—across the entire deck. Custom background patterns tie the cards together, and the branded box itself becomes part of the product experience. Every touchpoint reinforces the brand, turning a functional game into a memorable marketing tool.
We delivered print-ready artwork with full specifications for production, ensuring the cards printed crisply with vibrant colours and durable finish. The project expanded beyond the cards themselves—the design was also adapted for merchandise (t-shirts and keychains), extending the brand’s reach.