A festival identity tingling with anticipation

Scotland – Visually translating the visceral feelings of joy and anticipation that are unique to attending a festival, Otherlands Festival's new visual identity brings to the fore design cues to stimulate the senses.

Designed by Studio Nari, the branding's focal point is ‘frisson’ – the psychophysical prickle of excitement felt in response to affective art or music. With this sensation as a starting point, Studio Nari opted for unorthodox design decisions to communicate this sensory message. Headliners’ portraits are veiled in a dappled filter, for example, to help convey the excitement and emotional anticipation of eventually seeing them live.

As Caterina Bianchini, Studio Nari founder and creative director, tells It’s Nice That, the identity is ‘uniquely sensory, visually indulgent, joyous and uplifting’. The studio’s collaboration with the festival will continue through digital and physical installations and set design including custom-built on-stage animations. In this way, Otherlands' identity exemplifies how brands – especially media companies – can engage with people's Enlightened States, appealing to them through an emphasis on immersive sensory and emotional experiences.