TALES
Rebranding Bellafricana.
London's pop-up for some of Africa's most loved fashion brands
London's pop-up for some of Africa's most loved fashion brands
Context
Bellafricana is a platform dedicated to promoting creative entrepreneurs from the continent of Africa, a hub for creativity, artisans, fashion and the arts. After a successful run of annual pop-ups in central London, Bellafricana sought to elevate their annual Summer Pop-Up into a more immersive and globally resonant flagship experience showcasing some of the most stunning brands and fashion lines coming out of Africa. With a mutual admiration and appreciation for reimagining the narrative for African artisans and creatives, Bellafricana partnered with 478 Studios to rebrand Bellafricana to TALES, The African Lifestyle Experience.
Bukky Asehinde's vision
"Ultimately, I see TALES not just as an event, but as a movement that champions African creativity and fosters global appreciation and collaboration."
Challenge
Bellafricana’s objective was to move beyond the traditional pop-up format and create an event that would resonate deeply with both African and international audiences. The challenge was to craft a visual identity and event experience that would reflect the vibrancy and diversity of African culture without falling into clichés, while also appealing to a global audience.
Behind the visual identity
At the heart of it, the story and vision behind the new identity of TALES is one that expresses a sense of play, vibrancy and not following the constraints of grids and traditional boundaries. We expressed this through details like how we played with typography to intentionally overlap with areas of photography, shape and form; and ofcourse the unique series of shapes and patterns we created which were actually inspired by the original Bellafricana logo.
More than a logo
When it comes to the TALES identity itself, we were in full play mode. We wanted to genuinely create a new graphical language, hence when you look at the TALES logo, we’ve used shape to create the letters of the identity to complement the new direction which was all about creating A window into African arts, culture, fabrics, lifestyle and design, but more so, representative of the idea that TALES is a window giving African artisans access to a new global market.
A contemporary approach
"I’m hoping the audience will love the playfulness of what we have created, whether it’s the unique shapes, to the colour palette we have curated. I’m hoping they’ll appreciate our fresh take on representing Africa and the arts"
Signage and wayfinding
More than just a few posters telling you where to find the puff-puff, it was important for us to maximise the large format signs and transform them into rich and bold backdrops that would become a desirable focal point effortlessly capturing the attention of guests, exhibitors and sponsors. Within the first few hours, the signage became the backdrop for the event, from panel talks to capturing moments for between guests, artisans and photographers. For us it was important we leveraged wayfinding as a free canvas to express the new visual language and brand story of TALES.
Beauty & functionality
"The identity we developed was not just about aesthetics; it was designed to create an immersive experience. The bold, playful visuals were meticulously integrated into every aspect of the event, from marketing materials to the event space itself. This ensured that TALES was not just seen, but felt, creating a strong emotional connection with visitors."
Honouring Tradition
The success of our engagement came from our ability to honour culture and tradition. Back home, honouring your elders is something of great importance and was something that became a shareable and loved moment for the TALES tribe. From custom handwoven fabrics beautifully stamped with the TALES pattern to hand delivered parcels of filled with traditional treats and a hand written postcard, it was impossible to say no to the TALES invitation. Each lucky guest arrived rocking their fabric styled in a unique way at the launch.
Design and Digital marketing strategy
As a new pop up with a unique audience niche, our objective was to grab and maintain the attention of a blended audience, sponsors and partners who would value this unique opportunity and showcase. Through a considered digital and community engagement strategy, we focused on: understanding who were our audience, how do we make our 'tribe' feel loved on; and how do we represent the beauty of African design in a contemporary manner.
Project Details
Type
Rebrand: Visual identity, strategy and event design
Deliverables
Identity design
Packaging design
Marketing strategy
Visual language
Wayfinding & Signage
Packaging design
Marketing strategy
Visual language
Wayfinding & Signage
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