An open celebration of a year's worth of brilliant branding and creative excellence. Part exhibition, part award show – where we gathered to review, appreciate and recognise the stand-out work happening right here in the East.

Norwich's moment to showcase what makes our branding scene different.

Gather is where the work gets seen. Where the year's best brand stories, identities, campaigns and transformations are exhibited, celebrated and awarded. If your work is shortlisted, it becomes part of the festival – displayed throughout the day at The Forum for the industry to appreciate.

Then, as the day culminates, a panel of judges from across the UK will crown the winners at an evening ceremony.

The inaugural winners were crowned across seven categories by a panel of indu recognising excellence in brand identity, storytelling, communication, growth, emerging talent, social change and sustainability, reflecting both the diversity of the region’s creative sector and its growing influence on the national stage.

It's recognition. It's exposure. It's proof that world-class branding happens here.

The winners

Brand Story: UEA Brand Narrative by rbl Brand Agency

Original By Nature is a brand story developed with the University of East Anglia as part of a wider brand refresh. Shaped by more than 800 voices from across the university community, it captures UEA’s spirit of originality, creativity and independent thinking, providing a clear and unifying platform for its future.

Brand Identity: Steven Gizicki - Music for Film by Jordan Blyth - JB Studio

The visual identity for Grammy-winning music supervisor Steven Gizicki, was built around the concept of ‘Music for Film’. The design draws on genre-specific visual references and a mark based on a musical stave, with the top two lines opened to form a clapperboard - distilling the connection between music and filmmaking into a simple, recognisable symbol.

Brand Communication: Old City, New Attitude by VisitNorwich (Norwich BID)

This work distilled Norwich’s heritage and contemporary creativity into a single, memorable idea, brought to life through copywriting by Sarah Herman and filmography by Joseph Harrington. Delivered as a fast-paced, social-first campaign, it generated more than 4.47 million impressions and nearly one million hero film views, strengthening the city’s position as one of the UK’s most distinctive destinations.

Brand Growth Winner: Norfolk Museums Pass: Access All Eras by Norfolk Museums Service

Norfolk Museums Service reimagined its county-wide membership, the Norfolk Museums Pass, to drive income, engagement and resilience across ten sites. With Ark, it created the ‘Access all eras’ campaign, reframing the pass as an invitation to explore centuries of history across multiple locations. A distinctive visual identity, inspired by hole-punched tickets, and an insight-led campaign linked the reopening of Norwich Castle Keep to the wider offer. Delivered with partners including Joseph Harrington, Beth Moseley and Fabricca, the work drove 64% growth in memberships and strengthened long-term audience loyalty.

Young Blood Winner: Grid Girls by Eleanor Pike

Eleanor, a recent Graphic Communications graduate from Norwich University of the Arts, presents a provocative response to the lack of female representation in MotoGP, where women have never competed at the highest level and are largely visible only as grid girls on race day. With the sport offering little investment in or space for women, this work reimagines the role of the “grid girl” as a symbol of resistance, challenging the status quo and confronting the gender imbalance at the heart of motorsport.

Brand for Change: Beat – Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2025 Campaign by Meantime Studio

Created for Beat’s Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2025 campaign and directed by Joe Murray, this film challenges common misconceptions about who can be affected by an eating disorder. Through a carefully structured narrative that invites audiences to make assumptions before revealing the reality, it highlights the often hidden nature of the condition. The film formed the centrepiece of a wider awareness campaign, driving strong social media engagement and helping Beat reach new audiences.

Brand for Planet: Davos Baukultur Alliance - Changing the Culture of Building by Meantime Studio & Studio Miko

A hand-drawn animated film produced by Meantime Studio, creatively led by Alwin Ediagbonya in collaboration with Studio Miko, communicates the principles of Baukultur to a global audience. It explores how the built environment shapes society, culture and quality of life, translating a complex policy-led subject into an accessible, emotionally engaging story that builds understanding of more sustainable, people-centred approaches to development.