Merit Award
Pantone NeoCon Invitation, Brochure, and Booth Graphics Program
Location
Chicago, IL
Design Firm
Gensler, New York, NY
Design Team
Joseph Brancato, AIA (Principal in Charge)
Fabricators
W.E. O'Neil, Katherine Frank Creative
Client
Pantone
Gensler worked with this color systems company on the idea that the company offers one color language for architecture and interiors, enabling designers and manufacturers to speak the same language to each other. Recognizing the limited budget, efforts were made to keep client expenses to a minimum: furniture was borrowed from two manufacturers, the carpet was manufactured by Pantone's partner, environmental graphics were produced in Chicago to avoid shipping costs, the invitation and brochure were printed by their in-house printing division. The booth was treated in one color: pink. The space included a finish wall showcasing a multitude of products and finishes in various shades of pink. This wall illustrated to the NeoCon audience exactly how the color system can be used when specifying paint, fabric, tile, and floor surfaces.
Jury Comment
"The highly competitive arena at a trade fair requires a distinctive creative strategy, especially if your booth is small and your installation budget is modest. The courage to use pink as the signature color must be applauded. Its cosmetic references don't interfere with the messages of seeing Pantone as a valuable creative partner in the architectural and interiors professions. This single color approach is bold and impactful, memorable, and controversial – this is a great formula for creating buzz at a trade fair. "Did you see the Pantone booth? You can't miss it – just look for the pink!" This theme was also applied to information graphics and invitations very successfully."