We Are J'Ouvert
Logo Design, Art Direction, Poster Design
J'Ouvert is a pre-dawn, carnival tradition that is observed throughout the Caribbean community. Unfortunately, in NYC it has been marred by violence. I was given an opportunity to design an informational campaign targeting revelers and spectators alike, giving a bit of history, as well as updates about the recent changes to the parade.
The Logo was designed as a peace sign that includes the flags of Caribbean countries to show unity and speak to the goal of collective peace. The brush script was chosen because painting the body with pigment, mud, or oil is an important component of certain J'Ouvert celebrations.
The campaign had three goals;
1. Educate individuals on the Cultural History of J'Ouvert.
2. Notify participants of the recent parade route and security changes.
3. Discourage gang affiliated youth from attending the parade in order to cause trouble.
The 2017-2022 #WeAreJOuvert campaign is lead by the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit and the Office to Combat Gun Violence.
Traditional J'Ouvert is essentially street theatre that features elaborate costumes and dramatic displays. It was important to demonstrate the level of artistry that goes into the celebration with vivid photos. Additionally, modern J'Ouvert features body paint and mud, commentary tied to the slavery origins of J'Ouvert and West Indian Carnival.
The posters were designed in pairs to keep both the Older tradition of fancy mas and newer tradition of dirty mas on par with each other. I decided to highlight the two concepts by framing images with paint splatter in the posters.
The posters were primarily designed for viewing in LinkNYC Kiosks, which cycle through advertisements on the street. They were also printed and posted in key areas where parade attendees and at-risk youth were concentrated.
Because of the primary target audience, 16-24 year old's within the community, a social media component was necessary. The logo was available for download and use on social media images, but images of J'Ouvert in action were shared through the social media accounts of the Mayor's Office, Borough President of Brooklyn's office and affiliates. The hashtag #WeAreJOuvert was coined in 2016, and made it's return in 2017 as the logo and title.
All of the creative time and resources for this project were donated. Photos were provided by community photographers Keith Getter, Rebecca Smeyne, William Farrington & David Vidale.