Typography and the branding of culture: a methodological investigation into the way typography is used to brand cultural festivals in Australia

The observance of and participation in festivals and celebratory events is an increasingly significant aspect of the contemporary experience (Picard & Robinson, 2006). With the prestige that comes from holding culturally relevant and socially acceptable festivals that serve the discourses of “city branding” and the “creative industries” in a competitive global context; significant government, community and private funding is allocated to such events. Festivals have become a central figure of not only the political economy of tourism but also of urban regeneration and cultural tourism. Cultural festivals possess the hallmarks of destination branding or place branding and inadvertently share some of the attributes that influence visitors’ decisions to visit such destinations (Blain, Levy, & Ritchie, 2005; Cooper, 2005; Esu & Arrey, 2009; Jayswal, 2008). Branding is a vital part of this festival space and relies on typography to establish the symbolic values and representations of urban freedoms; rich histories, cultured places, playfulness and stimulation that seek to subvert our daily existence while performing the task of engaging local, national, and international visitors and participants. However, professional practices demonstrated in the design, media and arts industries have far outpaced the extent to which this phenomenon has been written about in the academic or public realm. What this paper intends is to interrogate appropriate semiotic approaches in an effort to analysing the discursive practices of typography as it performs in service to branding cultural festivals in Australia. The intention is to establish a methodology suited to the significant role typography performs within this context and to offer a contribution to design research that not only engages with the artefacts of design but with the conceptualization of designed meaning in 21st century visual culture.