Subverting the expected with striking event branding
CHALLENGE
The goal was to create a distinct and compelling brand identity for the first-ever Influencer Marketing Upfronts (Infronts), differentiating it from traditional upfront events while resonating with both advertisers and the creator community. The branding needed to embody the disruptive, high-energy nature of social media creators while reinforcing Blue Hour Studios and Horizon Media as leaders in cultivating these partnerships.
SOLUTION
By embracing a bold, maximalist design approach inspired by underground print culture - risograph and screenprint zines - the visual identity could break away from conventional corporate event branding. Energetic mark-making, raw textures, and modular type treatments gave the Infronts a rebellious, unapologetic feel, aligning with the event’s mission to celebrate creators as brands in their own right. A flexible logo and branding system would ensure adaptability across digital, social, and promotional materials.
APPROACH
Develop a bold, maximalist design create a distinctive identity.
Design a modular logo system for seamless adaptability across digital, social, and promotional materials.
Integrate dynamic textures, typography, and image treatments to set the branding apart from traditional upfronts.
Ensure the branding reflects Horizon Media's positioning as a leader in the creative and influencer marketing space.
ROLE & RESPONSIBILITES
As the lead designer on this project, I was responsible for developing the complete visual identity for the Infronts, from concept to execution. This included designing the event logo, crafting a dynamic system of textures, typography, and imagery, and ensuring a cohesive look across digital and social platforms.Additionally, I iterated on design assets to ensure flexibility for various promotional materials, maintaining a balance between high-energy visuals and functional adaptability.
Breaking the mold
DISRUPTING THE UPFRONTS WITH A NEW KIND OF EVENT
I was tasked with creating a unique branding identity for the first-ever Influencer Marketing Upfronts, otherwise known as the Infronts.
This effort was on behalf of Horizon Media, the largest independent media agency in the country, and Blue Hour Studios, their affiliate creative partner, to strengthen partnerships with influencers/creators - brands in their own right with substantial followings.
The Infronts, modeled after the upfronts (newfronts, playfront, podfronts), featured a week of never-before-seen programming showcasing an exclusive slate of social influencer content starring the most popular talent as well as up-and-coming creators. This included the opportunity for advertisers to buy into multiple tiers of partnership – from deeper integrations to more turn-key media promotion.
Our talent roster ran the gamut in content and audience - requiring visual tie-ins to unify them.
The logo lockup was made to be bold, sharp, and modular, able to shine in a variety of use cases.
I aimed to charge the logo and design with energetic markmaking and type treatment for a renegade, irreverent vibe - no holds barred. A key consideration was framing Blue Hour Studios, and their brand & creative partners, as unapologetically themselves in representing and cultivating a creative community through a novel event.
Utilizing texture and illustration packs which I then edited and iterated upon, these designs featured throughlines alongside image treatment that immediately distinguished them amongst the clutter of similar, familiar upfronts marketing events. Modular by design, the event logo’s flexibility in conforming to a variety of digital advertising and social contexts tied into Blue Hour’s positioning as leaders in the space.
Compositions are crowded + maximalist, with a nod to serial small-press publishing such as in risograph + screenprint zines: effective at producing many editions used to distribute en masse, for the purposes of event promotion, collaboration, etc., spurring substantive cultural movements.
Creator Showcase
DESIGNING FOR ALL SORTS OF PROGRAMMING
The second event in this series featured an exclusive slate of creator content, which was marketed directly to advertisers in attendance. I designed bespoke artwork for each concept, as in a thumbnail one may find on a streaming service. Below are some selected works from that lineup.
SOCIAL ASSETS
Meant to be viewed as an Instagram/Tiktok carousel, I designed these assets to scroll seamlessly between frames.
IMPACT
This event involved a large quantity of deliverables, from email outreach, a webpage for advertising and sign-up, teaser content, and talent showcases for multiple social channels. Ultimately, the events themselves were a success, complete with a press hit from AdAge with my creative prominently featured.
The event and its branding captured the attention of hundreds of attendees, including notable influencer talent and advertising executives across a swath of agencies.
INSIGHTS GAINED
This project reinforced the power of pushing creative boundaries while maintaining strategic adaptability. The importance of designing with modularity became clear, ensuring that assets could scale across different platforms without losing impact.
Additionally, the process highlighted how bold visual storytelling can shape audience perception, positioning an event as both fresh and culturally relevant. Collaboration with marketing and strategy teams also underscored the value of aligning design with business objectives to maximize engagement and success.