Regarded as the preeminent event for the “ceramic tile and natural stone” industry in North America, Coverings (The Global Tile and Stone Experience) desired a complete refresh of their show’s theme and brand identity. Numbers had drastically declined post-pandemic, so now was the chance to bring thousands of exhibitors and attendees back to the convention floor—and all parties involved (from Italy, to Spain, to America) wanted to do it with a grand statement. After immersing our design team in the previous year’s Las Vegas show, we saw the immense potential to raise the bar on this incredible experience. Walking the show is like embarking on a trip around the world. Many exhibitors boast museum-worthy booths and materials, so we wanted the campaign to capture that feeling. We did it through a striking aesthetic that embraced minimalist design, vibrant typography, on-trend color palettes, and bold, confident messaging. From the organic, water-based forms that hover throughout the arrangements (representing idea generation), to the custom, hand-drawn brushstrokes (representing creativity and flow), the campaign is modern, yet warm, and full of richness and character. Organic shapes unite with vivid, energized brush strokes—implying this idea of “inspiration and excitement.” A new brand pattern provided a strong visual anchor throughout the show’s signage, atmospheric structures, and print materials. Inspired by the striations and forms within a cut slab of stone, it’s an abstract interpretation of stone and tile materials. Within the pattern are randomized shapes, but also deliberate ones meant to represent water, clay, earth, and heat—the building blocks of our show’s “starring material.” The event launched to rave reviews, and experienced one of highest attendee and exhibitors numbers in the show’s history.   

The audiences for the campaign included tile and stone distributors; retailers; contractors and installers; builders and remodelers; architects and designers; stone fabricators; and many more.