On 4 and 5 March 2016, the Nation Branding Committee held its Créathon, bringing together more than 40 volunteers from a range of industries and backgrounds to identify the first steps to be taken in conveying the unique characteristics of the Grand Duchy.
The process was initially launched in 2015, when stakeholders from multiple sectors decided that the image of Luxembourg should be based on the three key components of reliability, openness and dynamism, with the idea of an 'ally' seen to best represent the personality of the country.
Last week's Créathon unfolded across three domains seen to be emblematic of creation in the country, these being Nyuko, LUCA and Carré. Driven by design management specialist Jan Glas and sponsored by Andrea Rumpf (LUCA), Nicolas Buck (Nyuko) and Robert Garcia (Rotondes), the two-day event involved intense analysis and reflection on the relevance and appropriateness of Luxembourg's existing identity symbols, as well as the development of a range of new ideas.
The consensus that emerged among participants was that the Grand Duchy's new visual identity needs to symbolise a friendly, helpful and brave country revealing a daring side to convey not just what 'we are' but also what 'we want to be' in the future.
At the end of the first creation session, six projects were selected by participants and then presented publicly at Carré on Saturday 5 March 2016, which Robert Garcia declared to be a success.
"I am delighted with the quality and originality of the projects we have discovered," commented Secretary of State for the Economy, Francine Closener. "The Créathon is an original initiative that allowed people from different backgrounds to imagine together how to represent the personality of our country. It is this inclusive, multidisciplinary approach that distinguishes our approach from that of other countries."
Following the Créathon, the Nation Branding Committee announced that the next step will be to analyse in detail the different proposals put forward over the weekend. Those deemed the most inspiring will then be developed further by communications professionals.
Photo by Sven Becker
