The Alternative Olympics

Here we feature one of the most comprehensive branding projects produced in recent years by Jonathan Mount in 2019 as part of his final year submission. The brief was an industry set project by Forepoint Preston.

Students were asked to brand the Alternative Olympics, the UK’s premier sporting celebration for the obscure and traditional heritage events found in the UK. Events included Nettle Eating, Shin Kicking, Worm Charming, Conker fighting, Bog Snorkeling and Black Pudding Hurling. The aim was to create a new vision for the Alternative Games using iconography, type and a strong visual identity. To modernise a long established event with a fresh new look for the 21st century.

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Rationale – The County Games is one of the UK’s longest established sporting events dating back to the middle ages. It’s first revival during the 1850s brought five of Britain’s counties together in a celebration of the unusual and obscure.

Many of the sporting disciplines are no longer considered “mainstream” but at the heart of every modern sport is a traditional event pre-dating it. This bringing together of county teams to the centre of Britain was at the core of the games with events being held at the Forest of Bowland up until its decline at the turn of the 20th century. 

It was rumoured that Pierre de Frédy, the Baron de Coubertin himself witnessed the games during the late 1800s and inspired him to establish what we now know as the modern olympics. The modern county games now includes eight teams with competitors vying for victory across eight events. 

The games are no longer exclusively held in Bowland with competing counties now hosting each games on an alternate basis but for 2020, the games return to the heart of Britain, to the ancient royal hunting grounds of Bowland and the ancient home of the games, Dunsop Bridge.

The Brand Mark

The Brand Mark

Using the basic shield shape and arranging in a circle with the workmark underneath completes our logomark. Much like the interlocking rings of Olympic tradition, the county shields arranged facing toward each other really brings a sense of community and oneness for the games.

The two primary wordmarks using both standard and inline Gill variants

The two primary wordmarks using both standard and inline Gill variants

The basic Heraldic shape at the core of the logo, developed & simplified

The basic Heraldic shape at the core of the logo, developed & simplified

The colour palette is taken from the respective county flags of each competing team

The colour palette is taken from the respective county flags of each competing team

Complimentary type families

Complimentary type families

The Rationale for the Games

The Rationale for the Games

The team colours slide show

The arena signage for the different events

The competitors Tabards

The competitors Tabards

Event participants can wear squad tabards in the appropriate colour of their team be it a 2 or 3 colour pattern. From left to right, the teams are the Rossendale Hurlers, Egremont Grimacers and Gawthorpe Haulers.

Wayfinding

Wayfinding

The Medals

The Medals

Event participants compete to win the coveted shield medals. The event for which the medal is awarded appears on the obverse of each below the shield circle. In the examples here, the events are coal carrying, bog snorkelling and shin kicking for 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Mockups showing obverse and reverse with ribbon colours for winning team

Mockups showing obverse and reverse with ribbon colours for winning team

Advertisements

Advertisements

A campaign to get people intersted in attending. Each poster shows a competitor at rest and composed. The passion for the events they compete in is shown through the copy and tattoo.

In context

In context

App 1

App 1

App 2

App 2

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A tour de force in every sense. A great example of how a project can be carried through with great copy writing, imagination and belief. As a student of Graphic Communication this project should be considered a touchstone…the closer you analyse the symbolism the better it gets…and it doesn’t get much better that this project. Enjoy!





A Pillar of the Community

Here we feature Natalie Utting-Ealand’s Harris Museum icon designs from 2018. Based on The Harris Museum’s 6 main Doric Columns, Natalie created a set of graphic icons that symbolised the cultural focus of the Museums offering to the Preston community – History, Art & Craft, Research, Recreation, Inspiration & Stories.

The Harris Museum frontage

The Harris Museum frontage

Icons in Black & White – History, Art & Craft, Research, Recreation, Inspiration & Stories

Icons in Black & White – History, Art & Craft, Research, Recreation, Inspiration & Stories

Colour Coded – History, Art & Craft, Research, Recreation, Inspiration & Stories

Colour Coded – History, Art & Craft, Research, Recreation, Inspiration & Stories

Typography added

Typography added

A really nice example of a set of well appropriated symbols, well designed, and well crafted icons. A great example for any future student tasked with creating their own icon designs.


Hellmann's D&AD 2018 – Rejuice

Here we feature Tom Buckley’s entry for the Hellmann’s D&AD brief back in 2018. The brief asked for the creation of a Hellmann’s branded device, publication or service that addresses the issue of food wastage.

Please click on image above to play film

Brand Assets

Brand Assets

Word mark

Word mark

Packaging 1

Packaging 1

Packaging 2

Packaging 2

Packaging 3

Packaging 3

Overview

Overview

In store 1

In store 1

In store 2

In store 2

In Store 3

In Store 3

A well thought through concept with a distinct look and feel, from colour to copy and through to tone of voice.

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NY Spaghetti Packaging – The directors cut

Here we feature Alex Creamer’s classic NY Spaghetti packaging concept from 2008/09. Now widespread on the net and various packaging related sites this project has attained cult status. So we thought we would show a little more from our archive of the early development work.

Alex’s solution was initially a response to a 2nd year brief, which was to repackaging a awkward product or item. It became the centre piece of his portfolio and while on placement at Ziggurat Brands in London he was able to develop the design further with their expert help.

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Detail

Detail

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The design eventually made it onto the front cover of the book above, via exposure on the Dieline and all this even before Alex had graduate in 2010. Ten years on and Alex has now moved onto the world of branding and is currently associate Design Director at Interbrand Australia.

Chelsea Flower Show Branding – 2103

Here we feature Gina Chamberlin’s Chelsea Flower show Centenary Identity from the 2013 degree show.

C for Centenary & Chelsea

C for Centenary & Chelsea

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Click the image above to play clip

Poster 1

Poster 1

Poster 2

Poster 2

Poster 3

Poster 3

Time line stem

Time line stem

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Nicely crafted, appropriate and considered typography. Blooming marvellous and yes, again, a nice idea that will always remain so, year in year out.