Branding: Flock the Block™ Event

THE NEED
As part of the marketing team at College of the Mainland, we collectively ideated the college’s first community-based event opting for an alliteration approach naming it Flock the Block. The event would include activities for various ages including inflatables, free food, climbing walls, art projects and much more. The event would be heavily advertised and needed a brand identity that would reflect and communicate a positive, fun and family-based experience. The brand would also serve as signage advertising on campus via digital and print channels.

MY APPROACH
With a large number of activities planned for the event and a family-oriented audience involving young children, I took a bold, colorful and playful approach to the logotype design to provide a broad appeal. Knowing the location of the event and activities, I knew families would traverse the space in unique ways so I explored visual narratives to connect different letters in the design to convey a sense of adventure. Color was used to bring a sense of variation and feeling of fun activity in the design. In addition to designing the brand identity, and assisting with planning and logistics, I created over 70 signs for the event. This included a series of humorous signs to entertain guests on the campus tour train ride.

THE RESULT
The event was deemed a huge success determined by key performance indicators of turnout, attendee feedback and numerous photos capturing in-the-moment audience experiences. The 2023 event went on to win the gold award for special events at the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations (NCMPR) 2023 District 4 Medallion Awards spanning all of Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming. The criteria included branding, signage and overall event experience. The Flock the Block logo was showcased on a large event screen to all attendees at the NCMPR awards ceremony in Colorado Springs, Colorado in October 2023. The event is now in its third year with attendance growing annually.

Flock the Block Event, Gold Award, 2023 NCMPR Medallion Marketing Awards.

MY ROLE
Design strategy, brand identity, typography, planning, graphic design and layout, signage, project management, vendor management, event logistics support