Brand Transformation in action: Taking a festival from legacy to living culture

Lollapalooza is a festival built on cultural relevance, but in a hyper-saturated landscape of live music experiences, even the most iconic brands need to evolve. In 2022, C3 Presents partnered with Someoddpilot for a full-scale Brand Transformation—one that would reestablish Lolla’s creative edge, reconnect it to Chicago, and reinvigorate its presence for a new generation of festival-goers.

The challenge was twofold: Lolla had lost its cultural foothold in an increasingly competitive festival space, and its brand had grown too complex for its internal team to manage efficiently during peak season. More than just a visual refresh, this was about restoring identity, creating clarity, and building a flexible system that could scale.

Our approach pulled from music zines, punk rock posters, and the raw, Xeroxed energy of Lollapalooza’s early ‘90s origins—reframing it for a digital-first, Gen Z audience. The design system embraced high-volume, high-energy layering, allowing content to scale dynamically across over 15,000 brand touchpoints while remaining unmistakably Lolla. The formula was built for controlled chaos—structured enough to be adaptable, loose enough to stay exciting.

The result? A bold, culture-driven brand system that amplifies every genre on the lineup, provides a powerful canvas for sponsors and activations, and repositions Lollapalooza as a festival that doesn’t just keep up with culture—it sets the pace.

Brand Transformation isn’t just about looking fresh. It’s about making a brand feel undeniable.