500 Festival Redesign


Event Rebrand
2023
Growing up near Indianapolis, the Indy 500 has always had a huge impact on me. Along with the actual main indy car race, there is also a huge festival in Indy with events lasting the entire month of May. The main event of the festival is the annual 500 Festival Parade.

The current branding for the 500 Festival is inconsistent, and does not pay tribute to such a historical event, which has been uniting hoosiers for 65+ years. 





History


The 500 Festival has been happening in Indianapolis since 1957, so there was a lot of past designs that I could reference. I drew a lot of inspiration from these designs in order to successfully pay tribute to such an important Indiana event.

Past 500 Festival Designs






Current Brand Presence

Current Indy 500 Branding
Current 500 Festival Branding





Logo Development


I decided to focus on a red/white/blue color scheme due to the constant use of those colors in the event and at the race. However, I also wanted to emphasize a traditional/old-timey feel to pay tribute to the history behind the festival. 
Moodboard
Hand + Digital Sketches





The short red diagonal boxes symbolize the bricks that make up the iconic finish line of the Indy 500 race. 




Final Primary Logo Selection


At this point in the logo process, I revisited the chosen logo and decided to make a few updates. The outer rounded shape was changed to directly replicate the shape of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway track.

The overall craft was refined and the center diagonal piece was resized to better fit the “500 FESTIVAL” words.





Final Logo Identity Variations


In order to use the logo in differing circumstances, I also developed a new secondary horizontal logo. It is based on the red brick shape that is used in the main logo.




Final Touchpoints

Circle Center Mall - Downtown Indianapolis
JW Marriott Hotel Exterior
Rookie Run Banner for Kids Race
Poster Series
Jelly Wristbands
Parade Tickets
Horizontal Logo Sunglasses
Horizontal Logo Merchandise
Primary Logo Merchandise
Street Signs Named After Previous Winners
Instagram Grid

Jayne Harlan