Luka Agency
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Brand Identity
Cicada x Tech23
Innovation Bay Rebrand
Creative Direction:
Kevin Tran
Strategy:
Damien Attenborough, Kevin Tran
Design:
Rekha Dhanaram, Kevin Tran
Overview
The word ‘game-changing’ gets thrown around a lot in the tech world, but it’s apt for the speakers and ideas shared on stage at Tech23.
Since 2000, the event has been an annual festival of deep tech – groundbreaking science and engineering-led technologies that can radically change the world – from super enzymes that eat plastic waste to aircraft that emit only water.
PIONEERING SPIRIT
Brand Strategy
In 2023, Cicada Innovations was invited to become the custodians of the long-running series to forge a new story of cutting-edge innovation in Australia.
The new Cicada x Tech23 event showcases and celebrates 23 deep tech startups tackling global challenges and driving the world forward.
Luka was asked to build on the Cicada Innovations brand, developing a bespoke strategy and identity system that reflected the event’s bold vision.
Logo
As an amalgamation of the two identities, Cicada x Tech23’s primary logo boldly leads with just the acronym, 'CXT23' – taking the C symbol from the Cicada Innovations core brand and combining it with an X form and the new Tech23 monogram.
Together, the set of symbols comes to life as a dynamic and modular identity system.
Brand Symbols
Cicada x Tech23 explores 5 key themes, from the future of the built environment to rethinking human health, envisaging decades ahead and unveiling the technologies and entrepreneurs that can get us there:
Shifting the Mindset on Medicine
Resilient Farming & Food Systems
Forging Industrial Futures
A Waste-Free World
Reimagining the Built Environment
We crafted 5 distinct X forms to represent each of the themes. Together, they communicate the diversity of goals and ambitions being shared at the event.
Visual Identity
The primary logo takes centre stage in big, impactful typographic arrangements, while the X forms can be used alone as an expressive graphic asset.
Debut Event
With the new visual identity ready to roll, the search began for Australia’s most promising emerging deep tech ventures.
Of the 128 startups that applied to showcase their ideas, 23 were chosen to share their vision for the future with an audience of industry leaders, investors, and policymakers who were able to support them at a crucial stage in their journey.
Impact Report
After the event, we helped the team create an Insights Report that collated the key insights that CXT23 highlighted, revealing the gaps and misconceptions that persist in Australia’s deep tech narrative and importantly, how we can begin to rewrite it.
This report investigates the origin stories of several emerging deep tech founders and showcases insights that will make entrepreneurs rethink what it means to be a startup founder – encouraging governments, investors, universities and industry to reimagine their role in supporting the next wave of innovators.
The significance of this evolving body of work was reflected by a Silver Stevie Award for 'Thought Leader of the Year'.
2024 Event
Cicada continues to grow CXT23 year by year, showcasing new cohorts of visionaries and powerful ideas to invigorate the Australian science community.
Client Love
“Luka crafted a fresh, distinctive sub-brand that seamlessly aligns with our existing brand family. It was essential for the brand to resonate both digitally and in real life, and they delivered brilliantly. The result is a playful, dynamic identity that empowers our internal team to express their own creativity. They developed a striking visual identity that stands out from other tech event branding.”
– Sian Priest, Group Executive Impact & Ecosystems
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