San Diego Film Festival’s cubist rebrand aims to “abstract individualism”

Californian agency Mering has rebranded the San Diego International Film Festival, looking to cubism and its most renowned proponent Picasso for inspiration. The agency worked with the San Diego Film Foundation on a pro bono basis, and led the brand strategy and creative, which centres around how perspectives can change the world with a tagline “The Power of Perspective. Come Watch With Us."

Channelling the ethos of the cubists – by portraying its subjects in an entirely new way by warping traditional artistic perspectives – the identity takes on elements of the movement’s use of geometric shapes, abstract compositions and portraiture. The new logo therefore features a simplified portrait of a face, its nose reduced to straight lines and its lips forming part of the icon’s grid. Also contained within the circular icon are symbols representing the city’s sunshine and seaside culture.

Mering says the concept for the identity is “the abstraction of humanity and individualism,” bringing together characteristics of San Diego with cubist elements to “reflect the upbeat vibes of the city”.

The agency is known for its creative work for the tourist boards of California, San Diego, Napa Valley and Tahiti, as well as the NFL, McLaren and British Airways. Founder and CEO Dave Mering says the project was pertinent to the agency as many of its staff “first fell in love with creative media through film,” and are often influenced by cinema.

The San Diego International Film Festival opens 15–20 October 2019.