Project Overview

Hemkade 48 was moving from a venue-led identity towards its own festival and event brand. We created a fictional mystery for the rebrand: an unknown black substance is found in the building during renovation, then appears to spread into the surrounding cities. The story moves across cinematic films, barrels in public spaces and a fictional news report.

Primary Objectives

• Introduce Hemkade's new identity through a story people would follow.

• Connect the venue's past and atmosphere to a new chapter.

• Build curiosity before explaining the campaign's full meaning.

• Carry one narrative across physical objects, film and social content.

Our Approach

We structured the campaign as a progressive discovery. A woman encounters researchers and the substance inside Hemkade; branded barrels then appear in Amsterdam and Zaandam. A fictional news report treats the mystery as a wider event. Props, sound and visual effects connect the chapters.

• Filmed interiors at Hemkade and barrel scenes in both cities.

• Used researchers in white coats and props to establish the discovery.

• Added restrained liquid effects in the building and television.

• Created a presenter sequence to expand the story through fictional news.

The Results

Four core video pieces and the branded barrels formed a multi-stage rebrand campaign. Final reach and engagement figures have not been established for the complete rollout.

Impact Summary

The campaign turns a change in brand identity into a discovery that can unfold in both the venue and the city. It gives Hemkade a story of its own while drawing on the building's atmosphere and history.

Deliverables

• The Discovery

  An opening film inside Hemkade introducing the substance and researchers.

• The Spread

  Branded barrels bring the mystery into public spaces.

• The News Broadcast

  An English-language fictional report gives the mystery a public voice.

• Television Sequence

  A presenter shot ties the building's television to the wider narrative.