Level 3: making an engaging festival - branding design
Getting the right message and theme out there is crucial for any brand. I have been partnering with Bright Black Productions and Level 3 Productions to help a group of neurodivergent/disabled artists to operate a gaming festival. I have been working on their branding design and strategy. With the support BrightBlack Productions team and myself, Level 3 productions is now an official company holding interactive art events and workshops.
Story and discovery
The group wanted the festival to come across as immersive and playful. I partnered with Bright Black to conceptualised a fun branding strategy focusing on using world building and storytelling.
We drew up a plan of using a golden donut as the premise for the story. This donut shop is located inside the neuroverse, a place where everyone within the disability spectrum can hang out. We decided the golden donuts will act as the visual keys for giving our audience access to this world.
They are featured on the website and marketing material to promote the idea. We were able to print off donut shaped stickers and featured the golden donut on social media posts.
Overall marketing style
For the style, we felt we needed to inject a sense of playfulness to the messaging. I investigated the gaming visual designs and once we nailed down the style, we decided to create the comic style characters and atmosphere.
The end result was the creation of cast of characters to present marketing material on social media posts to promote the event and tell the story about this world.
Execution and strategy
Ever since its first event back in 2021, I have been tweaking the illustrations and graphics in line with the start up’s need. We need something that plays on human engagement.
BrightBlack have presented very useful insights into conducting successful marketing campaigns post pandemic. So in response to the findings, I created beautifully illustrated doodles that were printed as part of a small colouring book for attendees (above). I left some areas empty for them to write their own words and imagery.
In addition, I partnered with Willow Ritchie to print donut shaped stickers for our guests. In 2023, avenues to get new funding, collaborators and generating gaming workshop are now in the process of being expanded.