PLOVDIV 2019
European Capital of Culture
European Capital of Culture
Branding, Graphics
Client: Plovdiv 2019 Foundation
Client: Plovdiv 2019 Foundation
Creating the visual identity for the celebration of Plovdiv as the European Capital of Culture 2019 was an extremely exciting challenge, and an honor for the team of our graphic studio.
Our goal was to bring out a clear and practical graphic symbol that will be recognised both by the organisers of the event and by all residents and friends of the city. We were inspired by Plovdiv – its hills, millennial arches, the ancient theatre and stadium, the river, the old houses, the temples, cobblestone streets, clay roof tiles, Bulgarian Cyrillic, and of course, our rich multi-layered history. All of this together in one very simple symbol.
Photo credits: Plovdiv 2019 Foundation, Rosina Pencheva, Lina Krivoshieva, Vanesa Popova
Brand Elements
The graphic symbol was the basis on which we built the entire visual identity of the event. The next step in our work was the selection of a font family to meet the needs of the cultural program filled with hundreds of projects. The modern Uni Neue by the Bulgarian type foundry Fontfabric responded in a great way to the needs of the project to write freely in both Latin and Cyrillic and to correspond harmoniously with the graphic symbol.
The motto of the opening event WE ARE ALL COLOURS was our starting point in the strategy for the colour palette of Plovdiv 2019.
Pictograms
During the first sketches of the logo we created drawings, which we then turned into a collection of pictograms. They were a nice playful fit in the otherwise strictly corporate visual identity.
Volunteers
The volunteers needed a vision that would naturally fit into the whole identity of Plovdiv 2019 and also stand out and evoke trust. .
Being a volunteer means being a good willing person by doing good to the community. You can even find that relation very prominent in the Bulgarian words “добро” (good) and “доброволец” (volunteer).
Тhank you and don't forget – visit Plovdiv!
