Duluth's Downtown Waterfront District is filled with a deep history but now has brought a new wave of energy to the city. That new energy is largely due to the hard work of the the Greater Downtown Council. They've helped bring unique retail options, delicious restaurants, opportunities for the art and business, all along the 90-block area. And they aren't done yet...

Challenge

Greater Downtown Council's newest initiative is a series of summer happy hour markets. Their goal is to highlight and support the local artists and makers of Duluth. However, they were in need of some event branding. Something that would tie the series together, grab attention, and help promote the events.

Solution

The event branding we designed for the Happy Hour Market is (intentionally) full of texture and variety. Since the makers of Duluth vary widely, we didn't want to focus too heavily on one medium. Featured markers, afterall, will include: painters, photographers, leather workers, print and jewelry makers, etc. Using various design patterns in each letter is vague enough to encompass all makers while still having a very artsy feel.We included a lemon/orange slice (drinker's choice) as the "O" in "hour" to nod to the fun summer nature of the event. And show that adult beverages can be enjoyed while you pursue your favorite local makers.

More Event Branding

Events are such a blast to create designs for — even if some more recent ones have had to be virtual due to the pandemic. Check out a sample of some other event branding work we've done to help promote a variety of events:

• Lyric Opera of the North  |  2021 Valentine's Day Soirée
• Lyric Opera of the North  |  2021 Summer Sparkler
• Grand Marais Art Colony  |  2021 Art Festival
• Grand Marais Art Colony  |  Non-Fest 2021
• Greg Follmer Commercial Real Estate  |  2020 Follmer Fiesta