From Referral to Repeat Business: Custom Badge Holders for American Express

A Referral from ClearScore

This one came about through word of mouth. A partner at American Express had been at the ClearScore summer event the year before, where they'd seen the 820 custom badge holders I'd made. They reached out to ClearScore's Chief of Staff asking who their supplier was, and the Chief of Staff put them in touch with me.

That's one of the things I like most about this business. Good work leads to more work. No advertising needed for this one, just someone spotting something they liked and asking where it came from.

The Brief

American Express were planning an internal event and wanted around 120 custom badge holders. The design was slightly simpler than the ClearScore job, with an inlaid flourish pattern on the body and a personalised name on each holder. They sent over a CSV with all the names, which I was able to feed straight into my Python script.

This was the first proper job where the automated workflow really paid off. What had taken me weeks of manual work on the ClearScore order was now handled by the script in minutes. Upload the CSV, the script adjusts the font size for each name to make sure everything fits, generates the model, and exports a print-ready file.

Two Week Turnaround

With the streamlined workflow and a smaller order size, the whole job was done in about 2 weeks from receiving the final name list to delivery. I personally dropped them off at the American Express offices, and the team were really happy with how they turned out.

Repeat Business

The best sign that a job went well is when they come back for more. Since the initial order, American Express have placed a few follow-up requests. Around 30 more holders for new starters joining the team, keeping the same design so the new batch matched the originals.

On top of that, another member of their staff got in touch asking about custom keyrings. I designed and printed about 100 personalised keyrings with first names, each with a split ring attached. It was a nice example of how the same 3D printing setup can handle different products beyond just badge holders.

Quick Stats

The Power of Referrals

This whole relationship started because someone at an event saw a badge holder and thought "I want that for my team." It's a reminder that doing a good job on one project can open doors you didn't expect. The ClearScore job led directly to American Express, and the American Express work has already expanded beyond badge holders into keyrings.

Want Something Similar?

Whether you need badge holders for an event, new starters, or something completely different like keyrings or custom branded items, get in touch. You can preview a badge holder design using our 3D designer tool, or send us a message for a free quote.