Typography and the branding of culture: a systemic functional analysis of typography’s performance in branding cultural festivals in Australia

This paper offers a social semiotic analysis of logotypes used to brand cultural festivals in 21st century Australia. A contemporary method is explored that suits the significant role typography performs within this context and offers a contribution to design research and the festival scape that not only engages with the artefacts of design but with the conceptualization of designed meaning in visual culture. Branding is a vital part of the 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. This paper addresses this shortfall and offers the foundation for a systemic functional method in the decoding of typography in visual culture