Eventbrite Rebrand

In 2020, everything changed — how we live, work, and socialize. Despite Zoom hangouts and Covid bubbles, a loneliness epidemic took hold, further fueled by our growing dependence on social media. The average internet user spends 6.5 hours online daily. But despite all the time spent streaming and swiping during the pandemic, we were more disconnected than ever.

At Eventbrite, the team felt the effects firsthand. But they were in a unique position: their platform could help solve this problem. As the world shifted to be more digital, real-life shared experiences became more essential than ever.

With a renewed mission to “Bring people together through live experiences,” and the role of product to “maximize the enjoyment of gathering,” Eventbrite places real-life, meaningful connection at the heart of everything they do. From comedy shows to forest forages to dachshund costume parties — Eventbrite offers experiences for every type of person.

But to reach more people and help them find these experiences, and to help event organizers reach their people, Eventbrite needed a fresh approach to their brand. And that’s where BUCK comes in.

Our task was to shift the brand’s perception from merely a logo on a ticket stub to something much greater: an all-inclusive place to discover and host events. To do so, we leaned into the emotion of what it feels like to gather in real life. We created a visual and verbal identity that was as exciting, unique, and joyful as all the experiences you can discover on Eventbrite.

The new brand aims to empower and inspire organizers and consumers alike, creating a space to celebrate and connect over their passions in the real world.

The photographic look for Eventbite is inspired by candid event photography. It feels raw, authentic, accessible, and even inspiring — putting real-life communities and the diverse passions they share on display. We lean on photography to craft compelling visual stories that build connections and engage audiences.

Here’s a small peek at the comprehensive photography guidelines we put together for image taking, sourcing, and commissioning.

A core consideration for the design system was scalability and adaptability across diverse applications. We knew the system needed a lot of flexibility to represent a variety of dynamic use cases — from self-care subway posters, to stand-up comedy e-mailers, and everything in between. So, we built a system in which the brand could effortlessly combine and shift between gradients, photography, and illustration to suit any need.

This need for freedom of expression led us to The Amplified Brand. Since Eventbrite appears in so many contexts, we created an amplified version of the brand for specific use cases across marketing extensions like social channels, campaigns, email newsletters, OOH, and more.

The design techniques defining The Amplified Brand include:

• Header Highlighter: A typographic treatment designed for layering over busy or complex imagery (with a dynamic, animated type system to boot)

• Expressive Paths: A bespoke logo treatment that allows for versatile mixed-media expression.

• Energy Auras: Neon gradients that add a layer of energetic vibrancy to both solid colors and photos, and can be layered for extra oomph.

These elements work together to elevate the brand’s presence across multiple platforms while maintaining a cohesive and flexible identity.

Illustration is used in unexpected and playful ways to create surprise and delight. There are two types of illustrations at play: metaphorical spot illustrations and social stickers. Metaphorical spot illustrations communicate specific needs and build brand attribution in the places where audiences engage most, while social stickers add a splash of Eventbrite charm.

For our metaphorical spot illustrations, we use an emotive, light, and whimsical style composed of flat and gradient colors along with recurring stylized elements (the treatment of hands, feet, accessories, etc.) This makes for a cohesive system while avoiding creating characters that could be mistaken for a mascot. We also use portals to communicate the metaphor of Eventbrite as a gateway to new experiences.

For our social stickers, we provided a large asset library so that relevant stickers can be found and used as branded flourishes without repetition across multiple posts.