Craft + Design is a 55 year old craft show recognized as one of the best, most hospitable shows in the country. After many years at The Science Museum of Virginia, it moved to become the first large-scale event hosted in the newly renovated Main Street Station train shed. The new location enabled the event to double in size with over 10,000 attendees and 130 artists, and its marketing campaign earned top honors in the “Events and Observances” category at the Virginia Public Relations Awards.
Branding / Large Scale Signage / Print and Digital Advertising
Arts and Craft / Non-profit / Events and Conventions
Beyond the practicality of communicating the new characteristics of the event, the campaign had to reach the older, returning constituency of the event, but also made an intentional pivot to draw in a new, younger customer base. With those goals in mind, the visual identity had to be referential to the event’s history, but also develop a fresh look.
This simple visual element, utilizing the orange and blue colors from the event organizer’s branding, was repeated throughout the collateral to differentiate the visual identity from previous years and communicate freshness while not infringing upon the existing identity and alienating the returning customer base.
An event of this scale required a large amount of creative content – over 100 unique designs and thousands of printed units. Applications included exterior mesh signs, custom cut glass vinyl, tasting tickets, entrance stickers and more. All applications utilized the same visual identity and many had unique sponsor requirements.
While much of the campaign focused outwardly on the attendees, over 130 artists featured at the event, and booth sales made up a significant portion of the overall event revenue. Collateral that was internal or artist focused helped to maintain the legitimacy and coherence of every piece of communication.
Craft + Design is the flagship event for the Visual Arts Center of Richmond and prominently includes a large number of VIPs central to the organization. Special consideration was given to these individuals and corporate sponsors through dedicated signage, exclusive spaces including the VIP Lounge, and invitations to special events.
