CATALAN GASTRONOMY / MARTA BOCOS

Text by Marta Bocos:

 

I was asked to design a visual identity for what I consider my hometown. Catalonia, and specially Barcelona, screams home to me, so I decided to communicate what this place means in my mind.

 

It became impossible to find a single thing or to simplify the hundreds of things, which define Catalonia and make it so special for me. As I realised that my appreciation for Catalonia is built on personal experiences and memories, I realised that the best way to communicate what my hometown is was to make people experience it by themselves.

 

Catalan food has a great impact on its culture, and has been shaped by its geographical location, history, tradition and innovation along the years. This is why I thought that in order for my audience to understand the essence of Catalonia, they should taste, experiment and learn through its true flavours.

 

In order to do so, I designed a campaign for both locals and visitors in which aims to promote my hometown’s gastronomy while letting them engage and experience it. The campaign is formed my a series of diverse food related elements spread around the city, key words are phonetically translated so that everyone can order a “pa amb tomaquet” in Catalan without them necessarily

knowing the language.

 

The main element is a vacuum packed gastro-guide, which introduces to the basics of Catalan gastronomy and its culture. It features maps, traditional food names and expressions, illustrations on how to’s and of course, delicious recipes.

 

As part of the campaign we also find vacuum-packed postcards with real food inside which can be shipped to your aunt in Canada allowing her to taste some “fuet”. If you go to the market, your food will be packaged in a specially designed wrapping paper where either you or the vendor will write down information about the food you are buying and suggestions on how to prepare it. Also, if you are ever having an “aperitiu”, pay special attention at the coasters as they might suggest what could go well with the cold beer you are drinking.

 

Bon Profit!