The brief
Wild in Art are a popular art events platform that creates meaningful and innovative public art trails. It was important that this collaboration with Croydon BID would inspire and attract residents and families as well as act as a vehicle to draw visitors to Croydon Centre. The campaign brand needed to be friendly, and approachable and appeal to a diverse audience and age range
The creative idea
As the Wild in Art sculptures chosen by the BID were Giraffes, this influenced the campaign name, “Croydon Stands Tall”, and we felt it was important that the logo itself merged these two core components into one instantly recognisable logo. The typographic relationship was created to reflect the abstract patterns that appear on a giraffe’s body and result in a fluid, family-friendly logo.
Disciplines
Campaign identity
Guidelines
Animation
Event materials including map
Social Media templates
Marketing Materials
Encouraging art in the community
Artists were commissioned to express their creativity and artistic vision to transform each ‘blank canvas’ giraffe sculpture into a distinctive work of art. As a result, the trail created a diverse and captivating collection of vibrant and eye-catching art around the town centre.
And the younger generation could also take part. Local schools and community groups were also invited to take part in Croydon Stands Tall, designing their very own four-foot-tall giraffe sculptures while taking part in a borough-wide Learning Programme.
Working in partnership
We needed to generate lots of materials to fulfil all the branding requirements as specified by ‘Wild in Art’ for the event to function successfully and work logistically. This also included ensuring that third party teams and the in-house design team at the BID could implement some of these materials. These included the website to promote the event, an event map, a sponsors brochure and social media templates to help promote the event.
The other important template was PowerPoint, something we have actually come to quite like over the last year. With its animation tools and more creative flexibility than Word, this is our go-to tool for clients to use and be able to produce great-looking presentations, and make last-minute changes without having to call us.
Guidelines and templates
To help with the implementation, guidelines were kept simple and functional and supplied with examples of best practice. They included an introduction to the logo and how it would sit with the partner logos and Crisis. Colours and typography were selected for accessibility and use for print and digital materials. There was a guide to messaging and type hierarchy, and a walk-through of the visual assets that we made available. Examples of how this could all fit together editorially were demonstrated by using the sponsorship brochure we designed as the first example of best practice. This kept the guidelines short, simple and easy to use for the in-house development of support materials and marketing – with us still on hand if needed. The brochure was also supplied as the master Indesign file to act as a template for other materials.
As the whole event is based around a sense of adventure and discovery the brand needed to reflect this playfulness and sense of fun. To reinforce the giraffe concept and create graphics that were distinctive, powerful and arresting we created a suite of brand assets centred around the giraffe’s body pattern and form.
The pattern created a fluidity to the materials which when combined with the bright, energetic colour palette drew the eye from a distance, which is important for an outdoor event.
The trail map
As an outdoor event based on finding 30 strategically placed giraffes around the town centre, it was important that the map was informative, fun and interactive. It was available as a fold-away printed version and as an app that you could download to your mobile. QR codes were placed on the plinths of the sculpture works and the app provided ‘rewards’ and information about the trail, artists, and the stories behind each sculpture.
A force for good
Funds raised as part of the event were dedicated to supporting Crisis, a charity that helps people experiencing homelessness and is active in Croydon through its Crisis Skylight Centre.
“Croydon Stands Tall will take everyone on a journey from the moment it is launched, making art accessible for all, promoting health and happiness as we celebrate our people and culture as Croydon takes centre stage at the London Borough of Culture 2023. Croydon Stands Tall, right from the outset, needed to bring to life its identity clearly for all to see. Working with To The Point, we have developed a comprehensive set of creative assets complete with brand guidelines that provides a striking brand identity with versatility complete with fun and engaging fonts, illustrations and imagery. To The Point have out done themselves on creating an innovative brand that enables us to set the scene and the story so that we can narrate the incredible opportunities Croydon Stands Tall will deliver.”
“We are also thrilled to welcome To The Point as an official giraffe sponsor of Croydon Stands Tall. Not only are they showing their support for the arts and diverse talents that make Croydon great, but also for our charity partner, Crisis. By sponsoring, To The Point is helping to elevate the community spirit of Croydon and show that together, we can make a difference. Thank you for standing tall with us.”
Matthew Sims, Chief Executive, Croydon BID.