The Client
Since 1983, the Signatures Handmade Market has been a highlight among Ottawa events, showcasing over 130 artisans at the historic Aberdeen Pavilion in Lansdowne Park. Sip and savour while you shop unique handcrafted goods direct from creators.
The Challenge
Sophisticated yet fun and high-energy. Focused on deep-rooted history but with a majority young clientele. We parsed out the event’s core identity to reintroduce it to the community.
On paper, it may seem there’s a culture clash, but the event is perfectly harmonious in person. We wanted to unify the branding and messaging with the experience of the event itself.
We put the Market through a total rebrand, weaving in its history and most-loved features, and sending it back out to Ottawans. The event garnered a lot of attention from national platforms, made a splash on community pages, and increased ticket sales and attendance by 8% year-over-year.
The Objectives
1
Rebrand an already beloved event.
Giving this treasured handmade market a branding makeover.
2
Grow recognition and ticket sales.
Reaching audiences and generating conversions via traditional and digital ad campaigns.
3
Balance history with appeals to young crowd.
Drawing from the rich history of the market’s venue, the Aberdeen Pavilion, while keeping it current for a young clientele.
OUR APPROACH
Brand Positioning |
Our client hosts two different fall craft shows in Ottawa. We needed to minimize confusion between the two by giving Signatures Handmade Market its own distinct look and voice. Influenced by its iconic venue and surrounding high-end neighbourhood, we leaned into the event’s chic air: a place to shop handcrafted goods while sipping wine to a backdrop of live jazz.
Design |
Unlike the clean geometric elements we cook up for other Signatures markets, our design team felt inspired by wedding branding here, with its wavy lines and flowing organic shapes. The silhouette and architectural features of the Aberdeen Pavillion were also heavily integrated into the design as an ode to the market’s history. A spread of classy, muted reds and oranges filled out the colour palette.
PR |
Our PR team pitched outlets with stranger-than-fiction origin stories of market vendors (involving Air Canada seat scraps, abandoned fishing nets, and sticky-bottomed garbage barrels…) The event saw significant attention from national platforms like CTV, outlets such as the Ottawa Citizen, and features in local event calendars to the tune of 35 million media impressions.
Traditional Advertising |
To reach a range of audiences young and old, we ran a robust media campaign, including print ads in local publications, compelling radio ads and TV commercials, highway billboards and more.
Performance Marketing |
We ran digital campaigns packed with colourful creative, attracting 1.2 million impressions overall. On Meta, we began early with Awareness and Traffic campaigns, layering in Sales and Remarketing to boost ticket sales as the event date neared. Pushing market awareness and encouraging ticket purchase were additional Display and Search campaigns on Google.
Social Media |
Stylish graphics updated followers on ticket promotions and exciting offerings. A selected handful of both brand-new and long-beloved vendors had their product photos and artisan stories shared. Finally, collaborative giveaways with six large local influencers generated excitement and brand awareness in the community.
The Results
35 million
media impressions
1.2 million
digital ad impressions
8%
increase in ticket sales
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