For 2015′s True Life Retreat, I headed the marketing and art direction for the theme of Pursuing Passion.
This included the official logo and poster, website + online registration, videos, social media posts, press kits, and merchandise.
When it came to the logo, I hand-lettered it and used the digitized/vectored version for the merch (shirt & tote) designs. My team and I then decided upon the matchstick as the central element of our passion theme. We worked on replicating the logo with hundreds of individual matchsticks glued together, which was then photographed for the main promotional poster. Thereafter we filmed the process of setting it on fire, to use as the opening video shown before each session in the retreat.
To see more of the social media campaign, have a look at the Facebook page.
The above image is of a construction of several hundreds of individual matchsticks painstakingly glued together to form 3D lettering.
The video below it is when we set it on fire. 🔥🔥🔥
But first— let’s rewind.
Making this matchstick masterpiece is only a small part of my involvement as the Marketing Creative for the True Life Retreat, but it’s also by far the highlight for me!
Since the theme for this year was “Pursuing Passion”, my team and I decided upon the matchstick as the central element. The idea is that a person is meant to blaze with passion in life... but that one can also burn out pretty quickly if not lit or sustained by a great call or purpose.
We spent at least 12 hours straight in execution: ordering a hundred matchboxes, glueing the matchsticks together (Tip: always stick to the glue gun. ALWAYS!) and taking photos from different angles. To be honest I also just about died when it came to cleaning up the final image—full of flaws— on Photoshop the next morning. My perfectionist side was writhing... but you gotta work with what you have so far.
Fast forward to making the press kits! We used all the empty matchboxes to put little calling cards in with a matchstick wedged in between. Oh, and that strip on top isn’t real sandpaper but I got ya fooled, didn’t I? ;D
Here’s a cinemagraph. Such a nice, soft, and feminine hand........ except it doesn’t belong to a female. HAHA! Somebody hire Mike Blas Yap for his hand modeling! 👏
Some design studies I made for the merchandise. We eventually chose #3 for the shirt, and #8 for the tote bag.
Aaaaaaand back to being arsonists the video, watch the BTS below:
Don’t try it at home, kids!
Video Credits:
Shot with iPhone 6 and Nikon D90
Edited by Jeff Fernandez
Music: “O Sweet Child” by Jesiah
Shout-out to the Marketing & Creatives team:
Phoebe Tarroja, Shek Bangsil, Michael Blas Yap, and Marco Lazaro.
Special thanks to: Sammy Magsino (for filming the BTS), Mic Narra, Weesa Ang, and Arjay Bautista for assisting us that evening in the balcony of A.Venue Mall!
