Upon choosing this brief, I envisioned gilts and glamour, and beautiful photography, display type, 3D type and all things extravagant. But when I started my research I realized two thongs: firstly these ideas leave no space for personal interpretation of the brief and secondly the Typography had to be the hero.

     The final strategy I came up with is based on the human truth that the circus is built upon secrets. The performers keep their identities and feelings a secret by covering themselves in make up and lavish costumes. The technicalities, methods and explanations of the performances and magic are kept a secret. The setup, construction and the behind the scenes of the Big Top or stage is hidden away from the spectator. These aren’t the only secrets, upon looking deeper more seams we discover that how and where the animals are kept is a secret, the finances are a secret, all is built on lies and secrets. Therefor my main catch phrase for the project is: When at the circus, always remember: All that glitters is not gold.

     This posed the question of execution, which medium would be appropriate to demonstrate the complexity of the circus and give the viewer the experience of unraveling secrets, while keeping with something that would be appropriate to find in a Circus Museum. Thereafter I came up with my deliverables, all of which have a special secret feature: a roll of entrance tickets, a set of posters, a Magic Ringmasters hat and an information pamphlet. I selected these media because they fit in with the idea of a circus museum and they lend themselves to both secret revealing and typographic execution.

     My museum is named Cirque de Cache, which translates into circus of secrets. The overall feel of the brand is fun, but sophisticated, with a feel that something is not right, this done purposefully so the viewer interacts with the brand and so he/se is intrigued and willing to look for the hidden secrets built into the brand.

     The logo is a beautiful monogram manipulated into looking like a circus, but when turned 90 degrees, the initials “CDC” is clearly visible. The brand is completely designed around and played out by using a custom, intricate grid system The accompanied branding, colour choices and special finishes are clearly visible through the rest of the deliverables. The main typographic element is the full colour pamphlet; this pamphlet consists of 14 pages, only reveled when folded correctly. This pamphlet is a brainchild of my own.

     All that is left to be said is: When at the circus, always remember: All that glitters is not gold.