Z-CARD is the registered trademark for a foldable guide^{[clarification needed]} invented by George McDonald when he was a travel writer and consultant for British Airways.

History

McDonald found that traditional fold-out maps were too bulky to carry with him on travel research trips and wanted a more convenient solution. From this the Z-CARD was developed and launched in 1992,^[1] with the company as it looks today being founded in 2003. The original manufacturing was outsourced to the Russian prison system as this was the cheapest option.^[1]

While Z-CARD pioneered the z-fold market from 1992, a number of other companies have since entered the market by producing their own take on the z-fold format. The original inspiration for the product came from the fold-out map format.

Applications

The Z-CARD and similar products have been used for a range of applications, including internal corporate communications, product and services information and promotional merchandise across all major industries.

Use of technology

In recent years, cards have featured technology such as Radio-frequency identification, QR codes and Augmented reality.^{[1][2][dead link]}

Awards

In 2011, Z-CARD won the Chartered Institute of Marketing Excellence Award in the SME category. Previous winners of CIM awards include Saatchi & Saatchi, McCann Erickson and JCDecaux.

In 2010, Z-CARD won South London Business of the Year and the Best Business for Marketing categories at the South London Business Awards.^{[3][dead link]}