Ostrom 79 Event branding

Project Description

In the history of the siege of Budapest between December 1944 and February 1945, perhaps the most tragic event was the siege of the Buda Castle District. The last desperate action of the German troops in Budapest was the breakout attempt between February 11-13, 1945, in which soldiers and an unknown number of civilians participated.

Traditionally, memorial days are organized on these days in Kapisztrán Square to commemorate the severe consequences and victims of the siege. I had the opportunity to design the branding for this series of events, which required careful consideration.

I AVOIDED EXTREMES: IT SHOULD NOT BE TOO AGGRESSIVE - THUS AVOIDING EVOKING NEGATIVE MEMORIES IN THOSE WHO LIVED THROUGH THIS PERIOD - YET IT SHOULD NOT BE TRIVIALIZED EITHER - SO THAT THOSE WHO DID NOT LIVE AT THAT TIME ALSO UNDERSTAND AND FEEL THE WEIGHT AND IMPORTANCE OF THE COMMEMORATION.

Therefore, I aimed to use authentic visual elements in the branding, combined with a more modern, brutalist appearance.

Propaganda posters and materials were commonly used during this period. By studying the typography and imagery of those graphics, I selected a typeface that adequately evokes the visual style of the time, yet remains modern and sleek.

Regarding the imagery, I utilized a small detail of the era, the destroyed staircase turn of the Buda Castle. By highlighting a detail from the tragic events that only offers a glimpse into the streetscapes of that time, I avoided excessive representation.