charity event Archives

Dining Out for Life 2017 Logo

AVOL

Lexington, KY

It was an honor to design the ad campaign for the 2017 installment of this AIDS nonprofit’s biggest annual charity event. Every year, dozens of local Lexington restaurants donate 25% of their profits for one day to fight this terrible disease. AVOL’s director wanted to go with a 50s diner theme for this year’s event, so he asked if I could start with a retro logo design. I jumped at the opportunity to give a fun, old school feel to this important happening.

Retro logo design for AIDS benefit story

AVOL provided a few sock hop and vintage diner images for inspiration. However, the director really gave me carte blanche to create something from scratch. I studied a few kitschy, fun 50s advertisements with futuristic themes. There were lots of wacky shapes on display invoking ray guns and flying saucers. Despite many people’s perception of the 1950s as a culturally repressed era in the USA, design sensibilities were both bold and upbeat. I took these cues to form this concept, which came together quickly.

First, for the background, I made a four point arrow shape in pink to form it. Then I created somewhat of a reversed out shadow in front of it from a darker pink stroke. This floating element gives it an authentic vintage feel, as well as depth. I set the main title in a classic tall sans serif font. Black letters spell the words “DINING OUT”, encased in individual seafoam green boxes. Because they are agitated, they seem to be dancing, grabbing your attention right away. The words “FOR LIFE” also pop off of a wide black fork shape pointing up and ahead.

Finally, the simple slogan “Dine Out, Fight AIDS” completes the piece using a lighthearted paintbrush font in the same shade of seafoam green. The end result is a classic mark invoking drive in movies, bowling alleys, and greasy spoons. Everyone who lays eyes on this logo gives me great feedback. It definitely puts smiles on faces and grabs people’s attention.

Contact me for your own retro logo design

Do you have a vision for a retro logo design? Whether you’re a startup business or a local nonprofit, I’ve got you covered. Contact me today!

Main Street Costumes “Zombie Walk” Print Poster Ad

Zombie poster design for Kentucky costume shop event

Main Street Costumes

Greenville, KY

My longtime friends Clint and Lori Cobb built their successful local costume shop Main Street Costumes from the ground up. They bolted onto their successful eBay store with a brick and mortar. It fast became a fixture in my small hometown of Greenville, KY, famous for the giant skull in the window. When they started planning a “Zombie Walk” event to benefit a local charity, Clint and Lori called on me to create a promotional design. They featured this zombie poster design on 3’x5′ banners, postcards, and t-shirts, as well as other mediums.

Zombie poster design story

I set out to create a feel that was somewhat gory, yet still lighthearted enough for families. First, I began with the stock featured image, a white eyed “walker”. The gruesome figure, complete with green decaying skin, a tattered shirt, and disheveled hair, still needed a little work. I felt that the size of his head was too small. Therefore, I used Adobe Photoshop to adjust it. Additionally, I tweaked a few colors and features before moving on to the rest of the poster.

In order to make the rest of the elements pop against the black background, I used bright colors. The zombie is outlined in a bloody red splatter, and his head juts in front of the event logo to add depth. Bright yellow and orange banners zig zag across the front like caution tape to display the event details. I used a frenetic, handwritten style font to give a comic book feel. The debut event was a huge success, since it drew over 350 costumed “zombies” to Main Street in the heart of Muhlenberg County.

Contact me for your zombie poster design or any other event promotion

Are you holding a zombie or horror themed event? Perhaps a Halloween bash for your local community? Contact me today!