Estonia-based studio AKU creates a tropical identity for a music festival

Scrolling through design agency AKU’s portfolio is a joy. The standard of their work is great, but what draws me in even more is their clever image selection signposting each project. It’s only now, seeing it done so well, I’ve realised how important this step is – it’s key in getting people excited enough about your work to click through.

It’s the variety of images used that works incredibly well for the Estonia-based agency, and the one that caught my eye instantly was the identity for Tallinn Music Week 2014. As a starting point, AKU likened undiscovered music to wild and rare animals, so using visuals by artist Eleriin Ello, they’ve created a tropical backdrop and applied it to various festival paraphernalia, including catalogues, wristbands, maps and tote bags.

The beautiful combination of the sweet, bubblegum pink with the deep, luscious, green leaves is eye-catchingly different for a music event and the studio has been sparing when applying the botanical motif to avoid bombarding the identity’s sleek finish. It makes for a sophisticated yet playful outcome and never have I wanted to go to the biggest indoor festival in the Baltic-Nordic region more.