Anime North
Brand Identity
3 Months
Illustrator | Indesign | photoshop
Anime North is a summer convention that takes place every year over a single weekend to celebrate anime and otaku culture. Anime North takes place annually in Toronto, Canada in May.
Problem
Anime North relies on previous guests for its returning audience however there are newer audiences that can appealed to who have interest in their convention. However in order to attract future guests the branding need to be updated, have an increased level of novelty, and needs a stronger visual appeal.
Outcome
Anime North will keep its core audience and be given a wider avenue to appeals to new ones. A consistent identity will increase the level of communication between convention guests and staff. Anime North will also be provided a theme and a foundation for merchandising opportunities to extend their reach and revenue.
approach
Anime North uses a primarily red, white and black theme, so thus I wanted to keep this as a core element. Furthermore, a new logo would be needed. The new logo would have to be both recognizable and be able to be used as a means to merchandise and identify itself.
solution
Through a brand identity guide I created a system of visual elements that can be used and applied through different uses, that includes for professional or other uses for example: business cards, letterheads, ticket stubs and apparel. Using these guidelines, it is now very easy to coordinate how different things should look and feel while having things different enough to distinguish between their uses.
Reflect
Anime North was my first look at branding and it has taught me to look at and think critically about how and why brands look they way they do and how. I learned how to analyze methods that companies use to translate their visual language and identity across different platforms and applications. The biggest takeaway I found from this project would have to be being able to understand how far a brand’s identity can reach. As a company, the branding can be used as a foundation for their identity and when it has a strong synergy; from the logo to the colours, everything can builds on top of these pillars.
Now that I look back at this project, there’s quite a few things I would change, but mainly two things really stick out. I feel like I limited myself creatively early on with the sort of direction I wanted to take this project, and as a result, I don’t think I explored as many options as I could have especially those that were radically different than the one I ended up moving forward with. The other thing that really bothers me when I look back is just how much time I spent looking at tiny details and overly meticulous which is not inherently a bad thing but it really hindered me in moving forward with the project. In the future I can push forward and make a better use with limited time.
Vincent Tam Design 