On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, Tourisme Montréal celebrated the achievements of Montreal-based businesses that contributed to the city's reputation with the Distinction Awards, presented by Air Canada. Fierté Montréal had the immense honor of being awarded in the Marketing and Destination Promotion category (budget of $25,000 and above) for the redesign of our brand identity and website.
We are deeply proud of this recognition from our colleagues in the tourism industry -yes, the Fierté Montréal Festival ranks among the top five events attracting tourists to our metropolis, generating significant economic benefits, all while highlighting the societal project we dream of: a truly inclusive society that welcomes and celebrates diversity, where 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals can thrive.
The Creative Process
For us, the new brand identity was more than just a graphic project. The cancellation of the Pride Parade in 2022 caused a significant crisis that forced us to rethink the organization in all its dimensions. We had to change to ensure that a similar event would never happen again. Let's remember that Fierté Montréal carries the Pride Parade, but it doesn't belong to us; it belongs to everyone, to 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, to their support networks, to community organizations working with our populations, and to the allies who support and fight alongside us. No one, not even the organization that bears its name, can take away our pride. The cancellation of the Pride Parade inspired our creative process.
“Fierté Montréal had already identified the need to update our visual identity and to launch a profound redesign of our website. The cancellation of the parade and the introspective work it provoked simply pushed us to move forward faster.
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— Simon Gamache
Fierté Montréal's Executive Director
The community was asking for a platform where voices would be amplified, a true ally of diversity and inclusion. They spoke. We listened.
Deux Huit Huit, our ally of choice
To build an identity that would reflect our new mission, we turned to Deux Huit Huit, an agency known for its exciting work and its colorful portfolio, with whom the team had an incredible match. Both teams showed contagious joy, and a collaboration rooted in transparency was born from this union.
As the strategists at Deux Huit Huit have said themselves, "The universe of Fierté Montréal was designed as a haven of expression for our pride. A common place to celebrate, to advocate; a place where it is possible to watch over each other to form the strongest of alliances."
In this text, Deux Huit Huit addresses the process of strategic reflection and creation that guided our joint decisions to arrive at our new brand identity, unveiled on May 18, 2023, during the launch of the programming for the 2023 Fierté Montréal Festival. You can learn more by listening to this podcast where we discuss with them the creative process that led to our decisions.
“The new brand image is a tribute to our past, but above all, a glimmer of hope and an aspiration for what lies ahead. And when the time comes to chant in the streets, we will be there with you — we are eager for it.”
— Simon Gamache
Fierté Montréal's Executive Director
The Distinction Awards
The event, hosted by Édith Cochrane, took place in the magnificent Grande Salle du 9e at Centre Eaton, an iconic venue that reflects the importance of our history.
"I am deeply impressed by the creativity and innovation of these Montreal businesses that constantly redefine the standards of excellence in our tourism industry (...). Thank you and congratulations to all the participants," emphasized Yves Lalumière, President and CEO of Tourisme Montréal.
Thanks to Tourisme Montréal and the jury members for their recognition.
The Team
Building an entirely new brand identity, during a crisis, and deploying it across a range of communication tools, all within a period of four months, is a colossal task! This would never have happened without the support and incredible talent of a strong team that was equally involved in the process of strategic analysis and creation. Laurence Heinrich (Graphic Designer), ensured the deployment of the graphic identity; Samuel Desrosiers (Project Manager, Content), created videos and animations that effectively communicated our new mission emotionally and efficiently; and Ann Simard, former Community and Content Manager, translated everything into written messages on our website and social media platforms; all under the leadership of Oswaldo Gutiérrez Bayardi, our Communications and Marketing Manager, who led the project with a masterful touch. Thanks to them for their passionate and committed work, as well as to the rest of the Fierté Montréal team, because the redesign of our brand identity concerned and involved almost the entire organization!
Never without our Pride!
Check out the project's case study on Deux Huit Huit's website
Listen "Réflexions", a conversation about our new brand & site web (in French)
