Carnival Sounds
An award winning project, platforming the communities, stories and sounds of Carnival globally.
SPOTIFY
Carnival Sounds
Campaign Strategy / Creative Direction / Brand Design / Visual Production / IRL Experiential
Taking place every August bank holiday, Notting Hill Carnival celebrates the Caribbean culture, community and history in London. As the second largest street festival globally and a national treasure, the first ever cancellation due to COVID-19 created a vacuum in the heart of London.
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Looking for a solution, Spotify tasked paq with transforming one of the world's biggest street events into an online, digitally immersive experience that enabled people to fill their homes with the sounds of Notting Hill Carnival.
Paq directed and designed the Carnival Sounds identity and story, building out what was an initially digital first project into a multi-year global campaign running from 2020 to 2023; spanning a microsite to OOH and IRL ESG initiatives.
PURPOSE
Our vision for Carnival Sounds was to create a virtual experience that not only celebrates the culture and heritage of Carnival but also the stories of the community and artists behind it. The goal was to develop an experience that cut through the digital noise and interactively immersed people in the soundscape of Notting Hill Carnival online.
Our vision for Carnival Sounds was to create a virtual experience that not only celebrates the culture and heritage of Carnival but also the stories of the community and artists behind it. The goal was to develop an experience that cut through the digital noise and interactively immersed people in the soundscape of Notting Hill Carnival online.
AUTHENTICITY
Surprisingly, Notting Hill is the only carnival in the world to feature multiple static sound systems. With this being a key pillar, sound systems and the culture surrounding it formed the foundation of our research and inspiration.
Through our creative development, we conceptually identified the sound system speakers as the centerpiece of good vibes.
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From the rapid pulsating movements that activate when the bass is turned all the way up, to their spherical forms that are brought together in limitless constellations; we articulated them as the life of the party through design. With the shape shifting circles, they also embodied a visual representation of the sun, sharing the synergy of being a source of life.
This foundation then went on to inform our use of typography and colour, inspired predominantly by archive dancehall posters from the Caribbean. Traditionally, sound systems are personalised by their owners; this influenced our approach when designing unique artwork for each of the 50 sound systems.
Our team collaborated with the British-Jamaican photographer Ekua King to profile the founders of the various sound systems; going beyond the surface to merge the sounds with their stories. With a considered approach, we applied the brand identity to Ekua King’s amazing photography where suitable — ensuring continuity, whilst maintaining the individual identity of each sound system.
QUALITY
The brand identity was then implemented throughout the site, informing every detail; including the ‘pull up’ button at the bottom of each sound system page, taking the user back to the top.
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The Carnival Sounds site was developed in collaboration with Stink Studios, incorporating photography, typography, archival footage and sound design. The site’s sound system artwork animates upon contact to recreate the vibrations that emanate from speakers in real life. Giving Carnival Sounds a distinctly dynamic sonic experience unlike any other.
Carnival Sounds was a poignant project in a difficult time for society. Its depth and resonance with the public led to the three collaborative partners - Spotify, paq & Stink Studios - being awarded Site of The Day by AWWWARDS.
