Luminato Festival Sparks Conversation on Visceral Power of Art

Luminato Festival Toronto has set out to revitalise its citizens’ creative spirit, launching a campaign that’s sure to spark a reaction. Designed by creative agency The Local Collective, the unmissable initiative sees luminous billboards punctuate key locations in the city, showcasing how, though art can provoke a multitude of emotional responses, the one thing it consistently causes is conversations.

A multidisciplinary festival, Luminato brings international art to the Greater Toronto Area each year, featuring work in unusual spaces and utilising city streets as its stage. As a cornerstone of culture in Toronto, the festival needed a strong, cohesive visual identity and main message. As the city and the world emerges reborn from the covid-19 pandemic, the teams behind Luminato and The Local Collective have seized the chance to re-establish the festival’s core identity.

To achieve this, The Local Collective created visual iconography celebrating the incredible effects of the art featured in Luminato Festival Toronto. Centring on the evocative quality inherent to art, provoking a whole host of emotions and conversations, the campaign creates a fast visual language and captures those varied reactions in the simplest, most impactful way possible: using the punctuation that reflects them. Through an ellipsis, period, exclamation, quotation, and question marks, the team created an identity that expresses what artists and patrons experience at Luminato. 

For even greater impact, The Local Collective placed these symbols on visually-arresting luminous colours - a subtle nod to the festival’s name. Much like the festival and art itself, the creative simply could not be ignored and thus sparked discussion, especially in huge takeovers like that of Toronto’s Yonge-Dundas Square. The bold statements position Luminato as a thought-provoking festival that pushes boundaries, constantly seeking new and interesting artistic expressions - an unmissable event for true lovers of culture.

Sarah Jean Harrison, CMO at Luminato, comments: “As the Toronto region continues to build its reputation for exceptional cultural events and artistry, we wanted to tap into its ever-changing creative landscape and reach those yearning to dive back into the arts and culture scene - especially after two years without live events. Luminato has never been afraid to push the boundaries of creativity and this campaign reflects the festival’s inherent ethos - showcasing the true power of art and speaking to those constantly on the lookout for new inspirations.”

Matt Litzinger, co-founder, president, and CCO of The Local Collective, adds: “Arts and culture festivals are the cornerstones of healthy communities, but for two years these events have struggled under the impact of the pandemic. After witnessing covid-19 damage the livelihoods of artists and deprive Torontonians of a source of local pride and connection, we wanted to remind citizens of the power of art - and the power of Luminato. These illustrations showcase how art can surprise and shock, spark a conversation, make someone think deeply, or even change a perspective. Festivals offer a unique snapshot of a community’s identity, and we’re proud to articulate Toronto’s cutting-edge culture through this campaign.”