A conceptual brand campaign for an iconic one-night festival that saw the largest crowds to date.

Running for one night only, White Night Melbourne transforms the city’s laneways, parklands, public spaces and cultural institutions through exhibitions, street performances, lighting, installations, film screenings, music, dance and interactive events.

Attracting close to half a million visitors over the course of the night in each of its first three years, awareness was not an issue. The challenge was to deliver a brand campaign which communicated White Night Melbourne’s brand promise to ‘expect the unexpected’.

Self-titled White Night Melbourne 2016 Identity Selftitled Metrolite 2

Solution

To celebrate this seemingly impossible idea Self-titled created a campaign language built around contradictions and oxymorons that might seem impossible in the real world but that come to life in the unexpected twists and turns of each white night journey. We invited visitors to; get in touch with the intangible, plan not to have any, and take a chance on a safe bet.

A series of portraits used coloured gel side-lighting to further play up this duality while drawing on the projected lights White Night Melbourne has become famous for.

Self-titled White Night Melbourne 2016 Identity Website

Self-titled White Night Melbourne 2016 Identity Banners

Self-titled White Night Melbourne 2016 Identity Selftitled Metrolite 3

Results

Self-titled created a conceptual campaign that is both dramatic and accessible and saw 2016 draw the biggest crowds to date. The campaign translated exceptionally well in digital mediums and appealed to a broad range of event attendees.