Mastercard Foundation
Baobab Summit
2022
Project location
International
Project scope
Creative & Environmental Design
Haft2 was engaged to design the visual language and creative identity for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program’s monumental 10th year and the Baobab Summit 2022. In addition to the overall creative look and feel of the event, Haft2 was asked to design and produce final artwork for all on-site collateral, such as the stage, wayfinding devices (pull-up banners, tear-drop banners), drop-down banners, interactive elements (an Instagram moment), PowerPoints, printed agendas, animated video content for airport screens and social channels, and a wide spectrum of digital applications used on social media.
Haft2’s mandate was to develop a visual language for the Summit that evoked a youthful spirit and creative, vibrant, and dynamic energy. It was imperative to holistically integrate the 10th anniversary of the Scholars Program as a central focus of the event and look for opportunities to celebrate the program’s 10-year history with the theme: a decade of transformative impact and learning.
Solution
To celebrate the rich history and 10 years of Baobab, we created a visual system based on the “10” from the Scholars@10 wordmark. In that process a variety of design concepts were created for the Mastercard Foundation for review by the internal team as well as the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Council, The council is made up of current Scholars and alumni of the program. The selected design was then further developed for application across all the elements.
In the approved creative direction, a monochromatic pattern evokes a sense of unity and coming together, becoming a canvas on which to convey the energy and spirit of the program. The pattern captures the essence of the program’s vibrant history while still maintaining a uniform look and feel. The concept allows for the expression of this year’s theme, “A Decade of Learning and Impact”, and its three pillars – Impact, Learning and Future.
The ‘”10″ graphic is the perfect element to express the decade of Baobab and is used to celebrate the Scholars by integrating them into the “10” graphic expression making them the “hero” and focus of the event.
We started by exploring a vehicle that could communicate the Summit’s message of celebrating the Scholars. Once we landed on the right visual it was integrated into various platforms: social media, signage, wayfinding, etc.
By using the design elements and applying the Foundation’s colour palette, we ensured a strong visual connection between Mastercard’s brand and the Summit’s theme.
We started the project by creating a visual identity for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program 10th anniversary and their tagline, a decade of transformative impact and learning. The wordmark adhered to the Mastercard Foundation updated brand architecture, yet created a distinct identity for the momentous occasion. After finalizing this cornerstone piece, we expanded the visual language by utilizing the ’10’ as a graphic design element, creating patterns and frames for photography. We used the more vibrant, bold colours within the Foundation’s colour palette to create an exciting event landscape.
Results
Haft2 created and delivered over 40 event applications, which included everything from stage design, PowerPoint templates, presentation decks, drop-down banners, pull-up banners, social media templates, signage, wayfinding, agendas, informational packets with maps, and teaser videos.
The visual language strategically aligned to the theme and created a cohesive event look and feel. Most importantly, the Scholars themselves provided excellent feedback on the event’s aesthetic and felt inspired by the creative.
