THINKING BACKWARDS

When I was first approached by The East Bay International Jewish Film Festival’s Director, Riva Gambert, I was still a young designer. My initial instinct was to develop a concept by seizing on what I thought were the dominant characteristics of the festival: “East Bay,” “Jewish,” all the “usual suspects” that those words inspire.

But Riva wanted something that spoke to a universal, diverse audience: all ages, all kinds of people. She wanted the imagery and the branding to be fun and accessible. The danger there, of course, is becoming generic—losing the punch that a very specific concept gives you. So… what to do?

The answer was not to sacrifice the brand in favor of marketing, but to create a brand from the marketing. Make it clean. Make the type punchy, colorful, and fun… and trust where it leads.

EBIJFF has been through numerous logos over the years, and the fun has always been centered on the festival’s catalogue. We’ve gone through a radical shift in color scheme every year, just to retain the playfulness and eye-catching nature of the designs. Typography has shifted, as well. Variety. Entertainment. Fun!