PROJECT OVERVIEW

Fred and Hertha Thomas owned two shops on Larimer Square (Cafe Promenade and Boutique Int’l). In 1969, they decided to honor their favorite tradition in front of the Cafe, and quietly tapped a keg of Coors and served some pretzels and white radishes. By 2016, the Denver Oktoberfest had attracted between 450,000 and 550,000 patrons during the six-day festival. It was quoted in Maxim Magazine and USA Today as “The Best Oktoberfest” in the United States and “One of the country’s biggest and longest-running traditions.” “The Denver Business Journal named it the ‘7th largest cultural attraction in Denver.’”

Between the outlandish design of traditional dirndls and lederhosen lived a perfect place for the Denver Oktoberfest branding and environmental graphics. The branding was inspired by traditional Bavarian design aesthetics and integrated a desaturated color pallet. I used lithographic and ornate floral elements to create a nostalgic look paying homage to the fall festival.

We owned this event for 8 years and radically transformed this festival from tents, flags, and vinyl banners to semi-permanent structures, large industrious stages, and state of the art entertainment lighting. The branding always had to work hard as wayfinding and navigating a festival of this magnitude is no easy task.