Toronto Biennial of Art

Building a visual identity, communications toolkit and wayfinding strategy for Toronto’s first-ever biennial of contemporary art.

In 2019, prior to launching the inaugural Biennial to the public, TBA came to Puncture to define its visual identity. A key feature of the Biennial is that all of its exhibition sites are located near waterways that are significant to Toronto: Lake Ontario, the Humber River, Don River, and more. We came up with a vibrant brand that is inspired by nautical flags and symbols, these appear in the bold graphic devices we created. 

The system is bolstered by artwork treatments, a celebratory and accessible colour palette, and a custom wordmark to bring the importance of public and free art to the city’s consciousness. In addition to visual identity, we helped simplify the Biennial’s communication platform and got it to its most distilled form, “72 days of Free Art”.

Industry
Arts & Culture

Service
Branding

The Toronto Biennial of Art’s (TBA) mission is to make contemporary art accessible to everyone. For 10 weeks every two years, local, national, and international Biennial artists transform Toronto and its partner regions with free exhibitions, performances, and learning opportunities.

Since the inaugural year, we have worked with TBA on all aspects of their marketing materials including communications, digital production, graphic design, video production, motion graphic design, and environmental and experiential design. 

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Invest Brampton
Esprit Orchestra
Mosaic
CAMH Virtual Tour

A virtual tour of CAMH’s new facilities, created to show donors the impact of their donations.

Industry
Non-Profit

Service
DigitalVideo

explore.camh.ca

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada’s largest mental health teaching hospital and one of the world’s leading research centres in its field. A large part of their strategic plan includes rebuilding their campus to become one of North America’s leading mental health research hospitals.

CAMH engaged us to create a website and interactive tool to showcase two newly constructed buildings to their existing donors. As COVID-19 hit and restrictions were enforced, donors who would likely donate again, could not physically come into the buildings to see the impact of their donations. We designed and built an interactive virtual tour experience of the newly completed buildings that houses over 40 videos that we scripted, shot and produced. The experience is designed in a way that donors can explore it based on their own interests, or it can be tailored for personalized guided virtual tours.

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6 Degrees
Canadian Stage
WayHome
TAS

Developing a bold and personal visual identity system for an unconventional impact company.

Industry
Corporate

Service
BrandingDigital

tasimpact.ca

TAS is an unconventional impact company. Their mission has always focused on impact-driven development, but as they honed and refined their process, they needed a refreshed brand that better captured their bold and personal approach. 

Puncture first tightened up TAS’s logo to have more visual presence at smaller scales and to enhance flexibility across digital applications. We then developed a whole new visual identity system that connects more cohesively with the geometry of their logo, and that better integrates and celebrates imagery, video, and messaging.

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Weston Family Foundation
Art Toronto
Canadian Country Music Awards
Tracks on Tracks

The identity and execution for Apple Music’s first playlist targeted directly at TTC riders.

Industry
Corporate

Service
BrandingDigitalMotion

Apple Music, along with Universal Music Group (UMG) and the TTC, asked Puncture to develop the creative and marketing roll-out for a new playlist targeting everyday commuters.

Leveraging the social influence of Universal Music’s artist roster, as well as media spaces from the TTC, a 12-month campaign was launched across station posters, platform video screens, streetcar banners and full-wraps, and TTC and UMG social media platforms.

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Canadian Country Music Awards
TAS
Tafelmusik
CBC Exhibitionists

Crafting an unignorable motion identity for CBC Arts.

Industry
Arts & Culture

Service
BrandingMotion

Exhibitionists is young, daring and born of a passionate and personal connection with innovating artists across genres from diverse communities across Canada. It features provocative artists working in all mediums who are disrupting the status quo whilst celebrating their cultures. Exhibitionists is the go-to destination to discover Canada’s fresh and diverse talents, and to get up close and personal with established icons.

Working with the CBC, we were tasked with crafting a striking and memorable visual identity for the program. Additionally, we designed a dynamic motion graphics kit for broadcast. We also had the honor of conceptualizing and editing the show’s captivating introduction, making Exhibitionists the ultimate destination for exploring Canada’s vibrant and diverse artistic talents.

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Choice Properties
SingularityU
Esprit Orchestra
ORXSTRA

Creating a distinct wordmark and graphic identity for a company exploring the intersections of art & fashion.

Industry
Design & Architecture

Service
Branding

ORXSTRA is an emerging art & fashion design company founded by Alex McLeod and Tala Kamea, focusing on jewelry, textiles, and art. Puncture developed the wordmark and icons for their brand with the goal of reflecting their bold and innovative designs. The structure of the wordmark, combined with the icons derived from traditional musical notation, is indicative of ORXSTRA’s expressive & stylish approach to design.

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Mosaic
SafeFest
WayHome
6 Degrees

Building an identity that is both urgent and optimistic.

Industry
Arts & Culture

Service
BrandingVideo

For its 10th anniversary, the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) launched its most ambitious initiative to date—6 Degrees: Citizen Space, a three-day event that gathers international cultural influencers in a dynamic environment for discussion on the world’s pressing issues.

The ICC and its founders knew they needed a partner with experience branding, selling, and producing an event of this scale. Puncture developed a thoughtful visual identity to reflect the tone and content of the conference, while drawing in new audiences. We then rolled out the identity across a number of marketing, on-site, fundraising, and internal assets, both digital and print, to help facilitate the event’s growth.

Puncture continues to provide year-round strategic design support. We helped develop the strategic launch campaign using digital media as well as impeccably-executed marketing materials and out-of-home advertising to draw attention and increase attendance to the event. This past year, we launched new pod events in Den Haag and Berlin and elevated the existing brand to make it bolder and more urgent for the annual Toronto conference.

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SafeFest
Mabelle Arts
Canadian Country Music Awards
Brodflour

Helping a new bakery change the perception of bread.

We were approached by an entrepreneur with a bold vision – to transform the public’s perception of bread. At the time, many people had adopted a carb-conscious mindset, viewing bread as a dietary villain. However, Brodflour’s founder aimed to challenge these misconceptions.

In collaboration with Brodflour, Puncture crafted a unique brand identity. Emphasizing their commitment to fresh-milled flour and genuinely fresh-made bread, the values were positioned as the core. This symbolized not just quality but authenticity.

Industry
Corporate

Service
Branding

To distinguish Brodflour from conventional bakeries, Puncture curated an ambiance and visual identity that stood out from other bakeries. We also advised on interior design, creating a warm, sophisticated yet inviting nordic style.

Incorporating these design principles added simplicity and refinement. This resonated with Brodflour’s commitment to quality, offering a distinct experience in a crowded market.

The result was a brand that tantalized taste buds and gave people the license to enjoy bread again.

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plazaPOPS
Tracks on Tracks
Invest Brampton
The Filmmakers

A motion identity inspired by the works of Norman McLaren.

Industry
Arts & Culture

Service
BrandingMotion

Puncture was tasked with branding The Filmmakers, an original CBC talk show that launched as a companion to a Saturday night series of celebrated Canadian films.

CBC wanted impact, an unapologetic aesthetic, and a flexible kit-of-parts. Puncture outfitted the show with a new look and feel, and created all moving parts of the show including a new intro sequence, bumpers, stings, title cards, and credits.

For The Filmmakers, our objective was to develop an accessible, original brand that catered to a mature audience, while still representing the artistry and diversity of the Canadian film industry. Pulling inspiration from the work of Canadian animator Norman McLaren, and the natural linear movement of film strips, we managed to create a dynamic brand system and show intro that married a classic film aesthetic with a contemporary edge.

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Invest Brampton
SingularityU
CAMH Virtual Tour
Art Toronto

Revitalizing and refreshing Art Toronto, Canada’s largest art fair.

Industry
Arts & Culture

Service
Branding

Art Toronto is Canada’s international fair for modern and contemporary art. Since 2000, they have been dedicated to supporting art in Canada, connecting audiences to local, national and international galleries, and promoting diverse creative practices. 

Art Toronto looked to Puncture to evolve their look and develop creative marketing strategies to attract ticket sales for their 2018 event. We worked within the confines of an existing visual system to create a fresh, elegant look and feel that spoke to a wide audience. We then rolled out the updated brand on-site, in print, and in an effective out-of-home and digital marketing campaign that attracted new audiences. From 2018–2021 we worked with Art Toronto annually to create unique identities for the fair.

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ORXSTRA
CAMH Virtual Tour
Yonge-Dundas Square