Cultural Awareness Event Design
Creative Direction, Branding, Marketing
I had the pleasure to work with Tight-Knit Syria and Emerston Group to launch the “But Syria-ously” event.
This unique experience connects Torontonians with Syrian culture through food, fashion, and film.
We started off by defining the greater goal of the event through a situation analysis.
Next, we went through a organized brainstorm together to set the creative direction of the event. In our collaborative process, we outlined the target audiences as well as the objectives and goals of the event:
- Counter the way media represents Syrian refugees.
- Educate people about Syrian culture.
- Help people accept others.
- Get people involved.
- Get people excited about Tight-Knit Syria (TKS).
- Provide networking opportunities.
I produced a list of suggested deliverables to focus on to create a well-rounded event. These included: an event poster, digital banners, personalized tickets and invites for designated few, basic marketing strategy and a day-of-materials (such as retractable banner stand, chalkboard, nametags, wayfinding and area signs).
We agreed to proceed with a good range of visuals and I kicked off the creative process by diving into the art direction and creating a brand identity. The visuals were designed to showcase the strategy reinforced by the core principles: inclusivity, empowerment, creativity, human connection, traditions.
Main Event Poster (left)
Other Options Explored (right)
The union of Canada and Syria's two national symbols was the direction chosen to go with the main communication.
A hybridized title treatment, juxtaposing the new / unknown to the ordinary was created.
Note that all options use a human, warm, fun, curious and energy-filled colour palettes.
Online Banner Versions of Main Poster Key Art
The artwork was adapted for the following main platforms: Eventbrite, Facebook and email communication.
A marketing plan was put in place, covering the following aspects:
- situation analysis
- target audiences
- objectives and goals
- content's voice (values and tone)
- strategies and tactics (including a schedule)
- social media content ideas (including a schedule)
Social Media Campaign Graphics (left to right)
Hashtag Introduction Graphic, Testimonial Quote Featured, Video Live Session Promotion, Contest Introduction Graphic, Artist Quote and Product Graphic
Lastly, social media content options were selected and I created graphic templates for the client to use. This ensured all event communications set a consistent tone through their visual language.