AwarDS,GHOSTS AND gHOULS

Paisley Halloween Festival

The CHALLENGE:

An ambitious event unlike any other. Visual style, identity, and marketing support for Scotland’s largest Halloween event—helping to transform the perceptions of what a local council can do.

The solution:

An award-winning identity, featuring eye-catching typography, illustration, mapping, video, animation, social media and festival signage. Plus, multi-award-winning photography in both 2022 and 2023.

An in-house gig:

While working in-house at Renfrewshire Council, we provided expert design and social media support to the marketing and events teams. Leading on the 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022 events, and providing visioning and social support for 2023.

All in a theme:

The creative theme changes each year, bringing a new challenge every year. In 2019 the theme was ‘Dark Circus’. In 2021 we went ‘Out of this World!’, in 2022 we highlighted our incredible people and place with ‘Heroes, Myths and Legends’. And in 2023 we made the most of Paisley’s amazing architecture with ‘Gothic’.

Collaboration is key:

Alongside the core event’s team, we’ve been joined by a host of inspiring creatives to deliver the festival. Since 2019 we’ve had the joy of working alongside live-performance experts Cirque Bijou. We’ve collaborated with multi-award-winning international photographer Graeme Hewitson. And we’ve worked with models, dancers and young people from various local theatre and dance companies.

Championing accessibility:

As part of the 2023 festival, the events team worked with local disability services with an aim to making the event as accessible as possible. This included additional funding for accessible viewing platforms. 

We worked closely with the wider team to craft a set of accessible guides including—a video tour of the site, online access guide and accessible map. This combined content had over 4000 views in the build up to the event. 

The impact:

Year on year, Paisley Halloween Festival has grown to be one of Scotland’s largest free festivals. The festival works with local schools and community groups to co-design performance elements—giving local folk amazing opportunities to experience performing to a crowd of thousands.

In 2023, our work helped generate millions of opportunities to see or hear something positive about the event, and Paisley more widely. And since 2019 we have helped welcome more than 160,000 combined visitors to the event.

Award winning

Winner, Best Digital Design 2019 Creative Exchange Awards

Winner, Best Cultural Event or Festival, 2019/2020 Scottish Thistle Awards, National Final

So much neon

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  • Creative production
  • Marketing Strategy
  • Motion Graphics
  • Advice & guidance
  • Copywriting
  • Social Media content
  • Templates and toolkits
  • Brand Photography