ABOUT

The National Archives holds a myriad of unrivalled original documents covering the Cold War. They briefed me to brand the exhibition and six month season, then design and deliver a range of printed and digital promotional materials.

I presented five different concepts and associated colour palettes to the client of which three are shown below. Each design concept was designed to work as a triptych. This decision was inspired by artist Francis Bacon who painted 28 triptychs between 1944 and 1986, which coincides with the timeline and captures the atmosphere of geopolitical tension.

Concept 1 was influenced by the dark thriller ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ based on John le Carré’s 1974 novel. The headline ‘a war of mist and fog’ deftly summarising this era of deceptive and destabilising propaganda.

Concept 2 employed a bold typographic approach to hint at revolutions and the shadowy world of espionage. A colour palette limited to black, white and ‘communist’ red was used to awaken memories of striking vintage Soviet Union propaganda posters.

Concept 3 delved into the key Cold War strategic players. The political powerhouses and their quotes instantly recognisable from the high media exposure during the 1980s. Secrets and sensationalism walked the corridors of power.

The chosen concept was then developed into a playful campaign with messages to reach and engage with diverse target audiences within the ‘Cultural Devotees’ and ‘Curious Minds’ segments identified by formative research. Using a carefully sampled 1980s colour palette and photography of instantly recognisable ‘retro’ objects to help portray a variety of perspectives.

Deliverables produced: Branding, Brand Guidelines, Bus Backs, Building Banners, Copywriting, Digital Foyer Screens, Digital Advertising Screens, Exhibition Souvenir Brochure, Image Sourcing, Infographics, Merchandise, Pillar Wraps, Postcards, Poster Series, Social Media Assets (Animated and Static), Website Landing Page.