Overview

Independent film can open people’s minds. A film festival’s brand needs to open the door. For nine years, TWIST helped the Cleveland International Film Festival welcome broader audiences while strengthening its national and international presence. The challenge was to grow attendance and sponsor involvement with campaigns that reflected the creativity of the films and the approachable, unpretentious spirit of Cleveland.

Goal

Make CIFF an experience more people wanted to be part of. Attract new audiences, energize returning filmgoers, and give sponsors and donors a compelling reason to support the festival.

36th Festival Campaign — Be Carried Away

“Be Carried Away” captured the transporting power of film. Whimsical animals suspended beneath colorful hot-air balloons brought that invitation to life across outdoor advertising, posters, tickets, credentials, buttons, and apparel.

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Solution

Solution

We built each annual campaign around the emotional experience of film: discovery, possibility, and connection. “Let’s Go,” “Be Part of the Story,” and “Be Carried Away” expressed that invitation in distinct ways, giving audiences something new to anticipate while reinforcing CIFF’s welcoming personality.

The ideas extended across the festival experience. Advertising created the invitation. Program materials, merchandise, and environmental graphics carried it through the venue. Social creative encouraged audiences to put themselves into the story, while trailers brought the campaigns to the screen. Sponsor and donor communications connected supporters to the festival’s purpose.

Together, the work made the brand an active part of the experience, from the first encounter with an ad to the moments between screenings.

Results

105%

Increase in attendance reported during the partnership.

15%

Average annual increase in local economic impact for nearly a decade.

09

Years of brand development and festival marketing campaigns.

Film Festival 32nd Edition
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“Since engaging TWIST Creative to develop the design and strategy for the Cleveland International Film Festival, we have witnessed an increase in attendance of nearly 105%. Coincidence? We think not.”
Marcie Goodman Executive Director, Cleveland International Film Festival

34th Festival Campaign — Let’s Go

“Let’s Go” turned the festival’s name into a vibrant invitation. Geometric letterforms and a spectrum of color created a flexible visual system for posters, program materials, signage, and merchandise.

We extended the campaign into the festival environment, using bold graphics, welcoming messages, and coordinated signage to connect the spaces around the screenings. The result was a consistent sense of place that carried the energy of the festival beyond the theater.

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Relevant Work

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