Ontario Culture Days (ONCD) is a not-for-profit organization that champions artists and cultural groups throughout the province.
Through festivals, speaker series, travel guides, and artist support initiatives, ONCD fosters a thriving arts community that celebrates the rich diversity of Ontario’s cultural landscape.
While ONCD had grown into a key player in the province’s arts ecosystem, they faced a critical challenge: distinguishing their identity from the national Culture Days brand while developing a cohesive and recognizable presence of their own.
ONCD needed a brand strategy that would not only differentiate them from their national counterpart but also enhance public awareness, create a strong emotional connection with audiences, and provide clear, adaptable brand assets for internal use.
Jacknife took a research-driven and collaborative approach to redefining ONCD’s brand identity. Through a brand audit, stakeholder interviews, and a Discovery Session with the board, we gained insight into ONCD’s challenges, aspirations, and differentiation points. Also, the competitive analysis helped us identify whitespace opportunities within Ontario’s arts sector.
From this, we developed a comprehensive brand strategy that solidified ONCD’s distinct identity while maintaining a connection to the broader Culture Days movement. At its core, the strategy embraced the brand promise of Arts and Culture for All, reinforcing ONCD’s commitment to accessibility and inclusivity. Its purpose focused on fostering strong community connections through shared artistic experiences, integrating creativity into everyday life to inspire joy, pride, and belonging.
The strategy was further grounded in three core values: Accessibility, ensuring cultural experiences remain barrier-free; Community Engagement, strengthening local artistic ecosystems; and Local Discovery, highlighting the richness and diversity of Ontario’s cultural landscape.
We also crafted a brand voice and messaging framework that positioned ONCD as warm, welcoming, inspirational, encouraging, and passionate. This voice would guide all communications, ensuring a consistent and compelling narrative across all platforms.
To bring the strategy to life visually, we embraced ONCD’s vibrant and diverse artistic community, ensuring the new identity felt both familiar and forward-thinking. Rather than a complete departure, our design team built upon ONCD’s existing branding to create a natural evolution. A playful and dynamic colour palette, enriched with fluid gradients, symbolized the creativity and energy of Ontario’s art scene. The refreshed logo and visual system maintained a connection to the national Culture Days brand while giving ONCD the distinct presence it needed to stand confidently on its own.
With a refined brand strategy and identity, Ontario Culture Days is poised to grow its influence and strengthen its connection with artists, cultural organizations, and the wider public.
