Celebrate Brooklyn holds a special place for many. For our team, it’s where we first experienced those warm, summer nights sitting on the lawn and listening to music with friends. As young NY transplants, we couldn’t believe something like this existed, much less that it was free.
In 2023 Celebrate Brooklyn sought to revive its identity to coincide with the reintroduction of live performances after a two-year hiatus. Gander was entrusted with the task of reimagining their visual identity, which would include a wide array of applications spanning print, digital, and on-site signage. With that we embarked on a journey to craft a system that embodied their theme for the year: gathering.
Drawing inspiration from the rich tradition of quilting, our vision unfolded. Mirroring the patch work of a quilt, our visual system brought together an eclectic array of elements to create a singular, cohesive narrative that was greater than the sum of its parts. New York City iconography like pigeons, stop signs, and taxis, turned into patterns woven together to create a vibrant backdrop for bold type and image. The typography is towering and condensed, mirroring the urban environment of the surrounding Brooklyn neighborhoods and buildings. We jazzed up the festival with a brand new icon—a beaming smile centered around the bandshell arch, which doubles as a monogram when oriented sideways.
The dynamic system we created for the festival allowed for endless combinations of imagery and graphics to be used easily across multiple applications. This has allowed us to work with the BRIC team to update the festival with a fresh look and feel over multiple years.
