Pure Rewards VIP Program — Pure Storage case study hero image
    Gamification & Loyalty

    Pure Rewards VIP Program

    B2B Loyalty & Engagement for Pure Storage

    Pure Storage·2020-2025
    Sub-Brand
    Pure Rewards VIP Program
    Parent Brand
    Pure Storage
    Years
    2020-2025
    My Role
    Creative Director, hands-on design
    The Business Challenge

    Pure Storage had a long-running partner incentive program, but its most loyal partners were starting to feel like everyone else.

    Their loyalty was going unrecognized — and unrecognized loyalty erodes relationships and, eventually, co-selling.

    The goal was to move top partners from transactional loyalty to emotional loyalty, and keep them for the long run.

    Strategic Insight

    Top partners didn't need more points. They needed to feel seen.

    Instead of building another incentive, we built a status — an invitation-only club that made Pure Storage's best partners feel like VIPs every time they heard from the brand.

    The question shifted from "How do we reward more?" to "How do we make recognition feel exclusive?"

    Strategy

    Invited partners could earn VIP status by hitting their channel-led deal and revenue goals. Status unlocked reward credits, premium swag, and surprises, with reward catalogs tailored by country.

    To keep momentum between milestones, we layered in the Orange Ticket Adventure Promotion: a sweepstakes where partners earned entries for preferred activities, with once-in-a-lifetime prizes like a trip to the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

    Each year brought a fresh chapter — Year 2 welcomed partners back, and Year 3 introduced an ultra-exclusive tier for multi-year earners.

    Building a Connected Brand Experience

    The VIP feeling had to show up everywhere — in the inbox, at home, and inside the rewards experience.

    One design system tied every touchpoint together, so each piece felt like part of the same exclusive club.

    Physical Brand Experiences

    Premium touches that partners could hold:

    • Custom branded swag boxes with surprise rewards
    • Program overviews and premium catalogs mailed to homes
    • VIP merchandise from top brands in each category
    • Virtual events and VIP concierge experiences

    Digital Customer Experience

    An ongoing plan, run monthly, quarterly, and ad hoc:

    • Teaser and launch emails ("Something Orange is Coming")
    • Welcome and announcement emails
    • Year 2 and Year 3 retention campaigns
    • Orange Ticket entry and giveaway emails
    • Birthday and website-activity triggered messages
    • Program promo video
    Behavioral Marketing Framework

    Every touchpoint was built to turn recognition into lasting loyalty.

    01

    Recognize

    Make top partners feel seen.

    • Invitation-only VIP status
    • Special recognition for multi-year earners
    02

    Surprise

    Deliver moments they don't expect.

    • Surprise-and-delight swag boxes
    • Birthday and activity-triggered messages
    03

    Elevate

    Give them something to reach for.

    • Orange Ticket once-in-a-lifetime experiences
    • VIP Open golf game for higher tiers
    Brand & Design System

    I built the Pure Rewards VIP Program identity and the design system our team reused across every touchpoint — so each new piece stayed on-brand and moved faster.

    Parent Brand
    Pure Storage logo

    The Pure Rewards VIP Program was built as a sub-brand of Pure Storage. The parent mark stays present across emails, giveaways, and the rewards experience, so partners always know the program comes from Pure Storage.

    Pure Rewards VIP Program logo
    Color Palette
    VIP Orange
    Charcoal Black
    White
    Typography

    A light, airy sans-serif for “Pure Rewards” stacked over a heavy geometric sans for “VIP PROGRAM,” with orange highlighting the key word. Headlines run in bold all-caps inside orange bars; body copy stays in a clean, simple sans-serif.

    My Role — What I Designed

    I led creative strategy and art direction for the Pure Rewards VIP Program across five years, building the sub-brand, its design system, and the campaigns that kept Pure Storage's top partners engaged. Our team executed day-to-day production from the system I created.

    • Pure Rewards VIP sub-brand and logo
    • VIP design system: color, typography, and layout rules
    • Orange Ticket Adventure Promotion identity
    • Email templates for launch, lifecycle, and year-over-year retention
    • Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3 campaign creative direction
    • Premium catalog and program overview mailers
    • Surprise-and-delight swag box concepts
    • VIP Open golf game creative
    • Program promo video direction
    Business Results

    The program turned Pure Storage's top partners into an engaged community that kept opening, coming back, and staying.

    60%
    Open Rate
    3x
    vs Industry Average
    Increased
    Partner Retention
    Reflection

    Loyalty grows when people feel seen, not just rewarded.

    This program taught me that recognition is its own reward.

    Points and prizes matter, but what partners remembered was how the brand made them feel: valued, exclusive, and part of something.

    Building a system that could deliver that feeling year after year — without ever feeling like the same old email — is what kept this program alive for five years.

    Campaign Gallery
    Program launch screens: Pure VIP login page and landing page on desktop
    Login & Landing

    Program launch screens: Pure VIP login page and landing page on desktop

    New-member launch flow: teaser, announcement email, announcement PDF, and welcome email across devices
    New Member Launch

    New-member launch flow: teaser, announcement email, announcement PDF, and welcome email across devices

    Returning-member flow: Year 2 and Year 3 teaser, welcome-back email, and announcement PDF
    Returning Members

    Returning-member flow: Year 2 and Year 3 teaser, welcome-back email, and announcement PDF

    Initial teaser email: 'Something Orange is Coming' with illustrated scooter delivery
    Campaign Launch

    Initial teaser email: 'Something Orange is Coming' with illustrated scooter delivery

    Welcome to the VIP Rewards Program email with luxury imagery
    Welcome Email

    Welcome to the VIP Rewards Program email with luxury imagery

    Program announcement email featuring luxury travel destinations
    Announcement

    Program announcement email featuring luxury travel destinations

    Year 2 VIP retention email: 'Welcome Back' with marina imagery
    Year 2

    Year 2 VIP retention email: 'Welcome Back' with marina imagery

    Year 3 VIP ultra-exclusive club teaser with dramatic premium photography
    Year 3 Teaser

    Year 3 VIP ultra-exclusive club teaser with dramatic premium photography

    Program announcement letter: 'First of all, thank you' with activation steps
    Announcement Letter

    Program announcement letter: 'First of all, thank you' with activation steps

    Animated teaser: 'Something Orange is coming' as the VIP package arrives at the door
    Teaser Animation

    Animated teaser: 'Something Orange is coming' as the VIP package arrives at the door

    Animated surprise box: 'Your day just got a whole lot better'
    Surprise Box Animation

    Animated surprise box: 'Your day just got a whole lot better'

    Surprise box tracking and Happy Birthday emails on mobile
    Surprise & Delight

    Surprise box tracking and Happy Birthday emails on mobile

    Subscription box mock-up, version 1: orange box with a charcoal 'Our Attitude Is Gratitude' band
    Box Mock-up V1

    Subscription box mock-up, version 1: orange box with a charcoal 'Our Attitude Is Gratitude' band

    Subscription box mock-up, version 2: white, charcoal, and orange colorways with the program URL
    Box Mock-up V2

    Subscription box mock-up, version 2: white, charcoal, and orange colorways with the program URL

    Orange Ticket Giveaway announcement email and PDF with prize overview
    Orange Ticket Giveaway

    Orange Ticket Giveaway announcement email and PDF with prize overview

    Orange Ticket Giveaway entry email with account activation instructions
    Engagement

    Orange Ticket Giveaway entry email with account activation instructions

    Orange Ticket Giveaway details featuring luxury travel prizes
    Incentive Campaign

    Orange Ticket Giveaway details featuring luxury travel prizes

    Self-mailer cover: 'Our Attitude Is Gratitude' — black, orange, and white VIP identity co-branded with Pure Storage
    Catalog Cover

    Self-mailer cover: 'Our Attitude Is Gratitude' — black, orange, and white VIP identity co-branded with Pure Storage

    Table of contents and welcome spread: 'If you are reading this, then you are at the top of your game!'
    Catalog Welcome

    Table of contents and welcome spread: 'If you are reading this, then you are at the top of your game!'

    Experiences spread — orange headline bars and angled photo cuts carry the system through every section
    Life Experiences

    Experiences spread — orange headline bars and angled photo cuts carry the system through every section

    Electronics spread with credit callouts on every product tile
    Sight and Sound

    Electronics spread with credit callouts on every product tile

    Outdoor living spread using the same templated grid and headline bar
    The Outdoors

    Outdoor living spread using the same templated grid and headline bar

    Sports and fitness spread
    Sports and Fitness

    Sports and fitness spread

    Home spread — a repeatable section template built for easy updates
    Around the Home

    Home spread — a repeatable section template built for easy updates

    Travel and adventure spread closing the catalog
    Adventures

    Travel and adventure spread closing the catalog

    Campaign Video
    "The quality and creativity of the agency's marketing campaigns as well as the professionalism and service level of their organization, enhances our brand and makes us proud to partner with their team."
    Senior Director Channel Operations

    Pure Storage

    Participant Feedback
    "I really have to say, this company is head and shoulders above any business partner I've worked with in showing their mutual partners real, tangible appreciation for the partnership and business that's done through the relationship."
    Pure Rewards VIP Program Participant
    Recognition
    Hermes Award Winner
    MarCom Award Winner
    Communicator Award Winner
    B2 Award for Channel Marketing Strategy

    Contact

    Let's Connect

    I'm always open to discussing new opportunities, creative collaborations, or just connecting with fellow storytellers and leaders.

    © 2026 Jamie Ahlstedt. All rights reserved.