Project Summary

35 athletes, 15 events, 6 artists, 3 concerts - it can only be one.

The Hondo Rodeo Fest, held at Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ, debuted as a bold fusion of professional rodeo and country music. The Fort delivered multi-medium branding and design to elevate The Hondo Rodeo Fest to national recognition and set the stage for its future.

The Challenge

The creators of The Hondo Rodeo Fest envisioned a groundbreaking event—an "authentic Western culture experience" combining the best of rodeo and country music. For its inaugural year, the event required a cohesive brand identity that could:

• Resonate with a diverse audience of rodeo fans and country music enthusiasts.
• Scale seamlessly across multiple platforms, from merchandise to digital ads.
• Establish instant recognition and credibility for a first-time event.

The Solution

The Fort developed The Hondo’s look to evoke cowboys, rodeo, and country music in the mind of event-goers. All event collateral utilized a warm western color palette of slate gray, earthy browns, and rust, with a vintage brass tone and bright cream providing contrast. A tall, rustic font completed the look by infusing a bold sense of personality and place. From event signage like arena panels and big checks, to merchandise and digital ads on Ticketmaster, to app and website graphics, this attention to detail in the visual branding presented event-goers with a unified look and feel that could only belong to The Hondo Rodeo Fest.

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Building brand recognition and excitement in the months leading up to the event involved strategic digital banner placements at Arizona Diamondback baseball games, social media advertising campaigns from The Hondo, and earned media from the athletes and music artists set to perform.

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Crafting the look of The Hondo Rodeo Fest gave The Fort opportunities to work with over 20 event sponsors and partners. This included everything from household name brands such as Fritos, Coors, and Cavenders, to location-specific brands such as Barstool Scottsdale, the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Crescent Crown Distributing.

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Visual Branding:

• Color Palette: A warm Western palette of slate gray, earthy browns, and rust, complemented by vintage brass tones and bright cream for contrast.
• Typography: A tall, rustic font that embodied the boldness and authenticity of Western culture.
• Design Consistency: Unified visuals across all mediums, from arena signage to digital ads, ensured a seamless brand experience.

Event Materials:

• Merchandise designs that appealed to fans and attendees as must-have keepsakes.
• High-impact event signage, including arena panels and oversized checks for rodeo winners.
• Social media graphics, app and website designs, and digital ads that elevated The Hondo’s online presence and ticket sales.

Marketing Campaigns:

• Strategic digital ad placements during Arizona Diamondbacks baseball games, reaching thousands of in-person attendees.
• Social media campaigns highlighting participating rodeo athletes and musical acts to build anticipation.
• Leveraging earned media from high-profile mentions by artists and athletes.

The Results

Brand Reach:

• Over 10.5 million impressions on social media.
• 735 million press impressions, including mentions from Zac Brown Band, Old Dominion, Whiskey Myers, Turnpike Troubadours, Tuf Cooper, and Wesley Thorp.

Advertising Impact:

• Arizona Diamondbacks stadium ads delivered approximately 522,000 in-person impressions.

Ticket Sales:

• Over 62,000 tickets sold across three days.
• Record-breaking "walk-up" ticket sales at Chase Field.

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