Smukfest

Smukfest, one of the oldest and largest music festivals in Denmark, partnered with Designit to streamline their brand identity and visual universe across all organisational levels. Placing their iconic mascot, Walther, centre stage – where he belongs.

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In their 40th anniversary year, Smukfest (which translates to ‘Beautiful Festival’) was looking to unify their brand across all touch points and offer their festival goers a celebratory experience to remember. Their iconic mascot Walther had taken different forms over the years, and there was a feeling that he and the entire visual universe of the festival needed an uplift.

Until now, Smukfest had experienced an inconsistent brand identity across the various arms of its operational foundation. The festival, which is built around thousands of volunteers, needed a collective brand foundation and guide.

A person with black and blonde dreadlocks, wearing a pink and white sweater, a white t-shirt, and multiple necklaces is posing against a light blue background. The person is making a hand gesture pointing at themselves with both hands. To the left of the person, there is a large green tropical leaf partially in frame. In the top right corner, there’s text that reads ‘K-Phax’ above the hashtag ‘#SMUK19’. Below this text is another word ‘Smukfest’.

An image of a storefront with large glass windows featuring an advertisement for Karl William. The advertisement includes a portrait of a person with the face obscured by a gray block. Graffiti is visible on the lower part of the window, and there are several empty chairs and tables in front of the store, suggesting it could be a café or similar establishment.

A pattern of abstract, wavy lines and shapes on a green background. The lines form what appears to be the word ‘SMOK’ in a stylized, fluid script that blends with the surrounding shapes. The design uses negative space and integrates the letters into the pattern, making it somewhat challenging to discern at first glance.

Designit worked with Smukfest organisers to delve into the festival’s rich history to inspire a cohesive brand identity, revitalising it across all levels of the organisation.

A collage of various colorful and stylized icons representing different objects and concepts. These include plants, a coffee cup, fruits, a bus, a microphone, hands showing different gestures, musical notes, a rainbow, clothing items like shoes and pants, anatomical illustrations of the brain and fist, hearts in different sizes and styles, a cocktail glass with a drink, and food items like a sandwich. Each icon is distinct and designed with aesthetic appeal, suggesting themes of lifestyle, hobbies, or interests.

The creation of a design framework made it easy to use, seamless to update, and added a visual playfulness to match the feel of the festival. This was a partnership about creating more than looks, though. We explored how visuals could enhance the experience for all users at the festival. We brought tickets to life with Augmented Reality (AR), created posters, videos, social media visuals, and Giphy filters so that the brand would be deeply rooted in the festival experience.

A colorful brochure or booklet with the title ‘Smukfest 2019’ prominently displayed on its cover. The cover design features a vibrant illustration of a music festival scene with various elements such as a rainbow, trees, hearts, and cartoonish figures of people enjoying the event. One figure is holding up a heart symbol while another is playing the guitar. The setting appears to be outdoors with greenery and tents, suggesting an open-air festival atmosphere. The text below the main title reads ‘Velkommen til de vildeste fem dage i Smukfest’s historie!’ which translates to ‘Welcome to the wildest five days in Smukfest’s history!

The updated branding and activations served to bring the entire scope and feel of Smukfest into one comprehensive visual world, based around Walther, and the community focus of the festival.