When designing the brand campaigns for the Times Lit Fest 2018, our challenge was to create a communication strategy that could speak to very different kinds of audiences while still feeling cohesive under one festival identity. We developed two distinct yet complementary campaign routes.
The first was a reader-led idea of “Book-Trippin’”, a campaign that embraced whimsical, light-hearted visual style. Inspired by the idea of reading as an adventure, it invited audiences to see books as doorways into new worlds. With its playful energy, Book-Trippin’ appealed to casual readers, families, and younger audiences — broadening the festival’s reach and making literature feel fun and approachable.
The other was an author-led idea of “The Voices Behind the Books”. In contrast, this campaign celebrated the authors and their works. Designed with a more refined and thoughtful tone, it highlighted the craft of writing and positioned the festival as a space where literary voices are heard, discussed and celebrated. This route spoke directly to a niche demographic of dedicated readers, literary enthusiasts, and cultural tastemakers.
Together, the two routes offered a layered brand expression: one that welcomed a broad demographic while strengthening the festival’s credibility with its core literary audience. By balancing accessibility with depth, we helped the festival articulate its mission — to celebrate both the joy of reading and the artistry of writing.
Client: Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. (BCCL), The Times Group, Bengaluru
