Financial tombstones are a wonderful way to memorialise significant and important transactions in the business world from corporate mergers and acquisitions to big investment deals and other accomplishments. As a symbol of celebration, these tombstones reflect what your company stands for and provide a lasting gift of recognition to those involved in the deal.
Also known as deal toys or deal tombstones, financial tombstones will usually include the names of the businesses involved in the deal, as well as their logos, and information about the deal such as the type, dates and location.
The term ‘financial tombstone’ comes from the United States, where the phrase ‘tombstone advertisements’ originated towards the end of the Gilded Age. Tombstone advertisements refer to ads printed in newspapers which consist of pictureless columns of text, reminiscent of traditional tombstones.
This became the format in which businesses would announce significant financial transactions due to strict regulations imposed by the US government: businesses weren’t allowed to add photographs to these announcements or include specific information about things like tax benefits.
These newspaper announcements were important to celebrate these transactions, spread the word, and provide recognition to those involved in the deal. Businesses began to seek new ways of memorialising and displaying the tombstones outside of saving the newspaper clippings in photo albums or frames, so some firms began encasing them in a material called PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), also known as Lucite or Perspex. This material was commercialised in the 1930s and opened a whole new world for designers involved in creating commemorative plaques, which had previously been made from materials such as stone, metal and ceramic.
These days, there’s no limit to the design of financial tombstones, with a plethora of materials and technologies at our fingertips. Whilst the original tombstone advertisements required basic information and no pictures, financial tombstones aren’t bound by such regulations. This means that your deal toy can be as complex, unique and informative as you like.
Glass Tombstone Awards
At Laser Crystal, our financial tombstones are made from flawless, optimum-quality crystal and state-of-the-art 3D engraving lasers which allow us to suspend intricate designs within the crystal.
We can even print full-colour imagery onto the surface of the award to make it more eye-catching, more characteristic of the brands involved in the deal, or with a photograph like in the example below. We worked with our client EEH Ventures to create a range of commemorative financial tombstones which feature images of the investment properties they had acquired and refurbished.
Styles of Glass Tombstone Awards
Ultimately, financial tombstones can look however you’d like in terms of shape, size, colour and content. Creativity is encouraged, and it can result in an unforgettable award which forever memorialises your hard work.
Tapered Portrait Crystal Award Limelight Portrait Crystal Award
Go for a classic portrait design which draws upon the original inspiration for this type of award, with a tall, simplistic tombstone-esque plaque. This shape is also ideal for printing images onto the surface to showcase your investments. Alternatively, consider a geometric shape with angle-cut edges for a more modern take.
Summit Crystal Award Matrix Crystal Award
How to Order a Financial Tombstone
First of all, congratulations on your recent success – it’s time to celebrate!
To order your financial tombstone, bespoke to your company and the deal you’re commemorating, get in touch with us to let us know your requirements. We’ll provide you with a selection of different crystal shape ideas along with your quote. We only need a rough design idea for your 3D engraving along with your personalisation requirements, and then we can support you with creating a fully developed and unique design. Our creative design team will produce some 3D visuals for you to review from different angles, and for large orders, we can even provide a pre-production crystal piece for final approval – especially if you’re ordering more than one tombstone to gift to team members and other parties involved in the transaction.
Browse our full range of bespoke crystal tombstones and awards or let us know your requirements and we can recommend a selection of shapes and designs.