Montclair Pride 2023

Montclair Pride 2023’s challenge was to develop branding, expand its assets, and improve representation for the intersectional identities of its audience.

Montclair Pride is a family-friendly, optimistic, energetic, welcoming event highlighting local businesses and the community activism of Montclair, NJ. The design began with the colors of the Progress Pride flag, which were imagined as overlapping circles wherein new colors represented the intersectionality of the LGBTQIA+ community: simple forms with infinite complexity. 

Incorporating 200+ sponsors was necessary, but the corporatization of pride was a concern. We addressed this by placing logos within branding elements, and by providing a suite of brand assets to sponsors. This intertwined our brand language with their collateral, promotion, and booths. It also helped achieve another concept of our event branding, which we called “decorating the crowd.” In addition to sponsors' assets, we sold merchandise leading up to the event, so over 1,000 people came to the festival “decorating” it. 

These brand strategies allowed our small team to focus on creating over 500 digital and physical assets focused on accessibility, visibility, and promotion. Over 26,000 attendees came to Montclair Pride 2023, a 70% increase over the inaugural event in 2022.

“In a time of both attacks on the LGBTQIA+ community and a loss of our identity to the corporatization of our prides, it's crucial that design be a force for representation and empowerment. AIGA's recognition of our work in translating the mission of Montclair Pride would give recognition not only to the important work of our design team, but also to the impact careful and intentional design has on communities”.

Andy Kahnke, Creative Director, Out Montclair, 2023.