The feq, an image that makes people talk

Did you notice it? Similarly, There has been a change in the graphic signature of the FEQ from the pandemic.

After several years to exploit the three colors of its logo (blue. Nevertheless, yellow and green), the organization decided to take a new direction, to “burst” a bit of its image and “push it further”.

“Until the pandemic. Consequently, we had not allowed ourselves a lot of madness,” said Samantha McKinley, director of communications at FEQ, in an interview with Soleil.

Visually more fun than the last. Nevertheless, the “edition not like the others”, in 2021, concentrated around a light blue sky made up of large clouds, white birds and the word “Regonjour”.

“We called it the“ Regonjour ”edition because it was a time of reunion between festival -goers. In addition, because feq, image makes people talk we had been confined for a very long time. In addition, […] We really have surf On the concept of the countryside. Similarly, […] We got a taste for it. Similarly, We really had fun. Additionally, Similarly, It was a success, ”says the vice-president-brands and public affairs strategy.

Rather than returning to its old loves, the organization therefore wanted to embrace a more “young” brand image and stuck to the “trends” of the industry.

In the following years. Consequently, many colors have tinted the campaign to accompany the three letters of the logo, swollen for the occasion. Moreover, Beyond the programming poster and advertisements, the whole site of the festival took these colors.

In 2025, the team changed its strategy. Meanwhile, “For the continuation of things”. Moreover, she now opts for feq, image makes people talk a “refined” logo in black and white, around which certain precise and “annual” elements will add a color punch.

On the ground. For example, festival -goers can observe, for example, closing covers “to their simplest expression” while bronze statues are around orange oriflams and other green or pink banners.

This brand image is then available on pavry. digital environments, display, advertisements, menus distributed in lodges, packaging, signaling, etc.

“There are so many variations that. one of the basic criteria when you have an environment [visuel]it is to be able to decline it ad feq, image makes people talk nauseamto respond to this very large need for volume. So that we don’t always feel like you are looking at the same affair, ”said McKinley.

Feq. image makes people talk – Feq, image makes people talk

Find the right narrative vein

Every year, the FEQ team therefore tries to create a “good story”, a narrative vein that will allow the event to have an advertising campaign that holds up and stands out from other festivals.

“The campaigns are only visual. […] [La trame narrative] will even come. influence the tone of the newsletter writing, the content approach on social networks, etc. ”, adds the director of communications.

For 2025, the “heritage beauty” of Quebec inspired the brand image. While festival-goers are transformed into bronze statues. graphic elements also recall the Saint-Louis door or other buildings found inside the walls of Old Quebec.

Artificial intelligence on the accused bench

However. this year, the brand image of the Quebec Summer Festival also made the public react, because the bronze statues were partly created with artificial intelligence (IA) in the offices of the Cossette agency – a marketing and communication agency with which the FEQ has been collaborating for several years.

Many visual artists have deplored the situation on social networks, affirming their anger as their disappointment.

For the Quebec comic book artist. Paul Bordeleau, the use of AI, in the creation of the graphic environment of the FEQ 2025, was a little the drop that made the vase overflow, as they say.

For what? Because other similar cases, in cultural organizations, have made headlines in the last months. As at the Pointe-à-Callière museum or at the Montreal Book Fair. The latter has since been committed to not using it.

“The Quebec Summer Festival is huge! If they allow themselves [d’utiliser l’IA]I imagine everything else below … People who have more or less large advertising and design agencies, university students, “lists the illustrator, feq, image makes people talk on the phone.

If Paul Bordeleau agrees that the debate around the AI ​​goes far beyond the Quebec summer festival. he is concerned with seeing organizations recognized and loved by the public go in this direction.

“Why do we get into it?” […] We are in the process of making professions disappear. A given moment. we will no longer have the expertise if we want to do business with people who create images, “fears the artist, who himself collaborated with the festival visuals in 2005-2006.

On this subject. the FEQ recognizes “the importance” of the debate around artificial intelligence, even if it “fully assumes” its 2025 campaign.

“I think there is a lot of learning that will be done, on both sides, in the coming months. […] We will follow the conversation closely, ”says Samantha McKinley, however.

The feq, image makes people talk latter also points out that the FEQ collaborates each year with some local artists to illustrate its derivative products. In 2025, Marion Hébert, Pazz Atelier, Sophie Paré-Cliche, Arnopeople and Edith Boucher signed the merchandise of the festival.

The Quebec Summer Festival continues until July 13.

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