2. The Characters
3. The Branding
4. Putting it Together: The Covers
5. Putting it Together: The Booklet
6. The Final Look
7. In Use: The Artwalk Exhibit
As part of the larger FIZZPOP! project, I designed a bold, engaging booklet for the purpose of introducing the characters of the brand to a new audience. The booklet takes the form of a play-pretend vinyl case constructed out of paper, including room for a fold-out play-pretend vinyl record complete with the FIZZPOP! branding.
The Larger Context
This booklet introduces 8 cartoon-esque characters to the reader: Enya, Cheryl, Punch, Peep, Blair, Miss Space Cadet, Creature, and Gun, the main cast of FIZZPOP!The Characters
The 8 characters all have their own unique traits, quirks, stories, and secrets, all of which this character booklet sets out to introduce. This booklet can be thought of as an appetizer or a sample of the larger brand, which focuses heavily on following the characters’ stories.
The Branding
FIZZPOP! has three core elements to its branding: the solid, two-toned retro color palette; stars; and concentric circles. Additionally, it makes use of the Roc Grotesk type family for the entire brand, along with a hand-drawn “cat scratch” lettering for use in graphics, slogans, and general embellishment.
Putting it Together:
The Covers
Taking note of the cast of characters, the fictional setting of FIZZPOP!, and the key branding elements, I made sure to cover all the bases with both the front and the back cover of the booklet.Putting it Together:
The Booklet
Each character profile consisted of two alternating pages: one page for the character bio that mimicked lyric pages in vinyl inserts, and one page for the illustrated character profile for readers to get to know the character more.
The Final Look
To tie off the vinyl-inspired aesthetic, I contextualized the booklet pages within a play-pretend vinyl record case, which would utilize the previously designed covers for the casing.The booklet would fit within the vinyl case, similar to a pull-out booklet found in real vinyl records. I wanted to use a music-inspired approach to this project because with FIZZPOP! being a brand based around nostalgia, music is nostalgic in and of itself. You can see how the final product might look in this mockup.
In Use: The
Artwalk Exhibit
Earlier this year, I exhibited a sample of my FIZZPOP! brand at MICA’s 2024 Artwalk. I made use of the printed character introductory booklet, which you can see on the righthand corner of the pedestal.
The booklet exhibited along with the interactive FIZZPOP! website, an accompanying launch poster, and a display of the character logos and branding. The exhibit was a success, with the character booklet being the crowd favorite.