PARSONS showcase the identity that wasn't to be for start-up conference Bits&Pretzels

Bits&Pretzels is an application-only three-day conference for business founders that runs annually alongside Munich’s Oktoberfest. It’s evolved into a world-leading event since beginning in 2014, with 100 speakers, seven stages and 5000 guests now invited from all over the globe to connect and enjoy a little ‘liquid networking’. Cape Town-based design studio PARSONS pitched to create the identity for the 2020 edition of Bits&Pretzels, proposing a solution that amplifies the event format and offers a rich visual experience for the global start-up community. “If negativity kills innovation, then optimism is the key ingredient that positively charges the start-up landscape”, state PARSONS. They visually expressed that truth through a combination of playful typography, geometric forms and bright colours; resulting in an approach rarely seen in the often-dull financial world. Founders Grotesk was selected for its rounded letterforms, classic curves, subtle kicks and balance of structure and simplicity. To PARSONS, the typeface is “symbolic of the integrity of the event”. They add that “it doesn’t overpower the communication nor does it fight with the colour palette”.