Jingle & Jazz

After joining the Propac Agency crew in spring of 2022, I flexed my creative muscles in the winter of 2023, as part of a company-wide Christmas party with lots of glitz and glamour. I worked collaboratively as part of an internal party planning and execution team, and made several key contributions to the branding and event planning, as well as expanded the original branding far beyond its original boundaries.

Art Deco Ideating

The theme of the event was 1920’s speakeasy - inspired by the urban feel of a four-story building in downtown Plano, and likely with a centennial nostalgia towards an era that is largely remembered through vintage photos and historical documents. In the 1920’s, the big city represented the American dream, with growing heights in buildings reflecting the resulting nonstop drive for growth and innovation. While the average Joe brewed their own hooch outside city limits, wealthy patrons could host huge parties with cocktails, snacks, and live music - if they bribed or invited the fuzz, a series of parties could go without significant legal intervention.

Shown below is my pitch deck for the branding of the 2023 Christmas party. The given title was Jingle & Jazz: A Propac Speakeasy, with gold and Christmas colors as the chosen tones and a ritzy tone, but we had plenty of leeway when it came to the remaining details.

My concept - which wasn’t chosen in its direct form, but ended up having a lot of influence on the final event - focused on the jazz aspect of Jingle & Jazz. My pitch leaned heavily into my experience with late nights at the Free Man, a jazz lounge in Dallas. In my view, Jingle & Jazz meant golden sparkles in the dark, live music, and a pairing of green and red spotlights that resembles a brined olive. The hope was for everyone to experience the holiday season with a dirty martini in hand, and stage lights twinkling in their eyes like stars.

Propac Against Prohibition

The final result leaned towards elevated glamour, but the end result incorporated my grittier love of jazz clubs through the use of live music, luminous details, and an extensive focus on cocktails. Combined, the signage, styling, and events rewarded the members of Propac Agency after a long year of fulfilling clients’ wildest dreams.

One contribution I made, upon being asked for more visual elements to work with, was the addition of keys, a secondary logo that later influenced take-home gifts. This later expanded to an overall minimal Art Deco concept with both unique geometric borders and a preferential approach to white space. Some elements used less to do more, while others leaned towards textures of opulence and abundance.

I was solely responsible for over half of the signs pictured at the event, but many others were assembled in a similar style with the help of fellow co-workers on the team.