From 1605 to 1814, the surface of the River Thames froze over 24 times. Entrepreneurial spirits in London’s Bankside area turned catastrophe into opportunity, creating pleasure grounds known as Frost Fairs selling food & drink, hosting activities and guiding tourists on to the ice.

Bankside are bringing back the Frost Fair for 2022 as a narrative driven art & culture trail to draw people to the region, encouraging visitors to discover the rich tapestry of side streets and hidden gems in the area, where they will find multi-media artwork by cutting edge artists.

Neighbourhood group Better Bankside commissioned us to create an identity and campaign for Frost Fair’s rebirth. The identity recognises tradition and embraces the now. We’ve mixed up old and new type styles, and celebrate the iconic moment they walked an elephant across the ice from North to South London against a backdrop of the industrial revolution.

We built an immersive multi-platform campaign off the back of the identity. This extends into a design system which maps the area and provides a clear framework to showcase the artwork.

Highlights include Jason Slabber’s augmented reality reimagining of the 1814 Frost Fair.

The Frost Fair is set to become an exciting annual event and a major part of London's social and cultural calendar. Download the app and head down to Bankside to experience it first hand from the 1st December.