One thing we’ve noticed when working with festivals and non-profit organizations is the clumsy attempt to keep things fresh year-to-year. Every annual event has an entirely new look, often abandoning the brand (if one even existed to begin with).
Our approach to this issue is to simply build a better brand. If done right, the visual identity will consider the organization’s needs, including annual events and galas. A collection of graphic assets, like custom illustrations, photography or iconography, make for an easier marketing effort.
Any communications or marketing manager would agree, if a solid brand is created and a knowledgeable team is ready to execute another year’s worth of media… and do it well, their job is much easier and milestones are more easily achieved. Our agency isn’t the only vendor you’ll need, but the collaboration is palpable, and with a network of seasoned photographers, videographers, writers, illustrators and strategists, we can deliver exceptional results.
As we created the new brand for ATX TV and its primary program, ATX TV Festival – we developed a system within the brand to accommodate for new ‘Seasons’. Launching with Season 11, the logo resembles a play/pause icon… perfectly appropriate for this modern TV obsessed crowd. In the coming years, the 11 can be replaced with the next number and the design can replace the play/pause to continually update merchandise as well as event experiential graphics.
With non-profit organizations, like I Live Here I Give Here, fresh creative is sought annually for programming. Without a strong brand, communications teams often purchase stock graphics and sacrifice any continuity or unique application. In our approach we developed an illustration style and various shapes to complement each program within the organization while providing flexibility to grow the graphic system and create different pairings as needed.
An initial investment in curating graphics and collecting imagery helps get the brand off the ground, but continual evolution helps keep it in the air. We believe in trusting the process, while allowing for thorough exploration at the right times. Kicking-off a branding process is one of those times, when forethought can develop an exhaustive library of assets. As time goes by, some of these assets may be utilized less, and new pieces may cycle in – but with more to measure against, the new additions will likely stand true to the brand.
