Well I'm back on the blog! It's been a really busy couple of months, hence the lack of activity on the blogging front. But with Spring finally deciding to make an appearance, my thoughts start to turn to the upcoming music festival season with iconic venues such as Reading and Leeds, Glastonbury and of course, the Virgin V Festival in Weston Park which is a mere 50 miles down the M6.
This week, the festival has unveiled a brand new look for its 22nd incarnation this coming August created by London-based design studio Form in collaboration with artist and signwriter, Archie Proudfoot. Check it out below:
As you can see from the evolution above, the new logo is a significant departure from the previous flat, handwritten, single-colour logo with the Virgin heart. Bespoke letterforms, glyphs and numerals have been created by Archie Proudfoot to bring a “fairground and circus” feel to “reflect the celebratory feel of the festival”. It will be used on everything from posters to signage and merchandise.
The project has also resulted in series of additional graphic motifs – from various shapes and arrows to background patterns – which can be used in announcements in print and on social media in the lead up to V Festival 2017.
According to Form partner Paula Benson: “The Festival embraces many styles of music, so we felt the new identity should communicate an upbeat, optimistic summer experience of music.” We definitely think this new identity has succeeded in doing this. With acts such as P!nk, Jay-Z, Rudimental, Pete Tong, Ellie Goulding and Craig David on the bill so far, the vibrant look of the new brand will complement the weekend’s lineup. As new acts are announced, the visual language will help to promote these, especially on social channels.
Live music is big business with revenues for ticket sales nearly double compared with physical and digital music sales. With artists complaining that digital streaming is harming the music industry, live music performances are seen as more of a guaranteed income. Competition in the live music scene is hotting up with new venues and festivals popping up every year vying for our attention. This new brand for V definitely helps it to shouts out above the noise to appeal to both music lovers and performers alike.
The system is designed to be flexible enough to accommodate other Virgin Group brands in the future so here’s hoping we see this brand grow and evolve over the next few years.
David Huskison
David is the founder of DWH and is involved in all aspects of the design process from the initial creative concept through to final artwork stage. With over 20 years of experience working with agencies across the Midlands, his role is to provide significant creative injection into client projects. By personally delivering creative concepts, he ensures that client briefs are effectively executed and that the final project is delivered within budget.