Netflix is a Joke: The Festival is the biggest comedy event in history (probably). Over the course of 11 days in Los Angeles an all-star lineup of 130 comedians performed at over 280 events, selling out shows at iconic venues like the Laugh Factory, The Orpheum, and Dodger Stadium. Netflix also released select shows as specials, bringing some of the festival’s highlights to a global audience at home.

To create continuity from promotional campaigns all the way to the event experience itself, we developed an attention-grabbing, copy-driven identity that could cut through the noise of a media-saturated LA landscape. With such an extensive lineup, the system had to accommodate an entire spectrum of comedy styles: from Ali Wong to Snoop Dogg, Bill Burr to Billy Eichner.

The visual identity’s secret sauce comes from a combination of bold, wood-type inspired typography applied across copy and logo, supported by dimensional graphic containers. Netflix and Panic Studio took this element of dimensionality to the extreme, creating an epic trailer to introduce the festival that (literally) brings the logo to life.

To develop the voice of this year’s event, we took the name as a starting point (“Netflix is a joke”) and created a persona that could both hype up talent and poke fun at itself. This dry, self-aware, and slightly vulnerable voice brings unexpected humor through over-articulated asides (“We’ve got the best comedy (not a joke)”), playful nods to LA comedy culture (“New York is gonna be sooooo jealous”), and a dose of irreverent self-deprecation (“Laugh at us”).

From larger than life OOH takeovers to colorful main stage graphics, visuals and copy join forces to scream comedy. It’s an identity you can’t help but laugh at (in a good way).