Ongoing project. Branding and design for Brutopolis.
I set up the @brutopolis Instagram account with two modern architecture enthusiasts. The feed features images of brutalist buildings submitted by our followers (the so-called 'citizens' of our fictitious megacity), accompanied by tongue-in-cheek captions promoting the virtues of living in a futuristic concrete dystopia.
I created a visual identity for the city by using bold typography to 'build' slogans, emulating the look of tower blocks.
We produced an initial run of merchandise which could be bought directly via a link on the Instagram feed. The first items were a heavyweight tote bag featuring a version of the 'Citizen Of Brutopolis' design and an enamel logo pin badge. I created images of both to feature on the online store.
This looping gif was the first part of an Instagram 'teaser campaign' for the merchandise.
The next part of the teaser campaign was intended to generate excitement by gradually revealing the products. To do this we shared a gallery of five semi-abstract images featuring a mysterious black-clad figure with the bag.
This was followed by a second gallery of five images. Stevie, our model, had once graced the cover of The Face and was now a brutalism fan living on London's iconic Barbican Estate where the shots were taken.
The photo galleries were followed by three 30-second teaser films. I edited the footage to show a black-clad figure being frantically pursued by the 'Brutopolis security forces', with brief glimpses of both the bag and pin badge. The audio was provided by one of our citizens, Chicago-based techno producer @surachais.
As the final part of the tote bag promotion we shared two images of Stevie and the merchandise on the Instagram feed – with a direct link to buy via the online store.
The next stage of the project involved us creating print-on-demand products. We designed a long sleeve T-shirt and hooded top (both featuring the distinctive Brutopolis branding) that could be ordered via our online store. Once orders were confirmed a notification was sent to Inkthreadable printers, who created and dispatched the garments on our behalf. This print-on-demand model allowed us to always have merchandise ‘in stock’.
As before, we created short teaser films to share on the Brutopolis social channels.