I was commissioned to design the visual identity for the 2027 Poetry Slam Championships in Ludwigshafen and Frankenthal. Having designed numerous poetry slam posters over the years, I intentionally avoided the usual clichés of microphones and hands. The community appreciates a more imaginative approach, so I wanted to create something genuinely artistic.
Both host cities are defined by their industrial landscapes, centered around the massive BASF chemical complex. While researching the area, I noticed a clever coincidence in the local car registration plates: Ludwigshafen uses LU and Frankenthal uses FT, which spells Luft, the German word for air.
I decided to work with this concept by focusing on the chimneys that dominate the local skyline. To make the visuals truly stand out in a traditionally gray environment, I designed the clouds rising from the chimneys as vibrant heatmaps. Because poetry is fluid and constantly changing, I built the identity around motion, allowing the colorful clouds to evolve over time. I then selected four distinct stills from the animation for the final print posters, creating a campaign that is grounded in the local landscape but feels beautifully atmospheric.
