Holi Festival Event Signage
World Festival Queensland is planning a line-up of events to celebrate international festivals. This will be the first year that the mini festivals will take place but if successful, they will become annual events.
Overview
Client: World Festival Queensland
Scope: Print Design, Digital Design
Outcome: Develop an engaging concept for an advertising campaign and to produce the artwork for: two social media ads, a billboard ad and a magazine ad.
Critical Issue: Maintain strong cultural sensitivity to represent the communities and cultures that celebrate Holi. Introduce fun activities & cultural awareness/interest for an all-ages event – appealing to Queenslanders.
Specifications
Print: 2 x Print Designs – Billboard and Magazine page.
Digital: 2 x social media posts – Instagram and Facebook
Imagery: Must include information about the event. Must be respectful of the culture.
Keywords: Love, spring, religion, colourful powder (Gulal)
Competitors
While studying and analyzing other events held in Toowoomba, I observed that the creative direction for promotional materials predominantly targeted mature audiences. For example, the promotional style of the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers leaned heavily on these design choices. This was evident in their use of bold serif typography paired with illustrative assets featuring intricate line work. While elegant, this approach lacked the ability to captivate all age groups or generate a sense of curiosity and intrigue.
development
I started by researching the cultural significance of this event, which is globally recognized for its vibrant tradition of throwing multicolored powders. Since the festival celebrates love and togetherness, I knew that showcasing people had to be at the heart of my approach.
To effectively connect with the target audience, I tailored the visuals to suit the specific platform and demographic. For example, young teens and adults were featured prominently in Instagram posts, while children and families took center stage in Facebook advertisements, ensuring the design resonated with each audience.
Final Solution
The final designs hit all the right notes, offering flexibility to feature anyone and everyone, creating an open invitation to join the celebration and learn more about the vibrant traditions of Holi. The overall aesthetic, with its simplistic yet approachable design, combines smiling faces with rounded, handwritten typography, perfectly capturing the joyous and inclusive spirit of the event.
For copyright purposes, all images used were high-quality and free for commercial use. However, I would have loved the opportunity to create original photographic assets to further elevate the project. For example, in the image featuring the kids, I manipulated the original photo by repositioning two of the children behind the front row. This adjustment created space for text on the left while also making the composition feel more cohesive and balanced.
I do wish I had the opportunity to expand the designs to include greater representation of male and elderly audiences. However, the narrowed-down selections for the brief were strategic and thoughtfully tailored to suit each platform, ensuring the designs effectively met the project’s goals.
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