2024 FLUFF FESTIVAL CREATIVE RFP

Deadline for submissions is 11:59pm on May 15, 2024

Please email your submission to Jessica Eshleman at usms@unionsquaremain.org with “Fluff Festival Design Application” and your name in the subject line.

Project Description

What the Fluff? A Tribute to Union Square Innovation, a festival honoring the invention of Marshmallow Fluff, returns to the Square in all its zany glory for its 19th year. It celebrates Somerville’s proud tradition of innovation with live music, fluffalicious feasts, sticky games and much more happening Saturday, September 21 from 2-6pm in Union Square (rain date Sunday, September 22). 

Union Square Main Streets, the producer of the Festival, invites proposals for the most flufftastic design to be used on promotional items, all social media, and all collateral materials. 

In order to find the most creative, fun, and funky design that celebrates the spirit of innovation in Union Square and this year’s theme in a compelling way, we are soliciting submissions for this RFP.


Background / Overview

What the Fluff? 

This wacky, madcap festival honors the invention of Marshmallow Fluff by Archibald Query in Somerville in 1917 and salutes the spirit of innovation that thrives in Union Square today. In its 19th year, the What the Fluff? Festival showcases delightful and delectable tastes, the sweetest sights and sounds, and incredible innovations.

Fluff fans from far and wide will leave their sepia-toned world behind for this technicolor celebration like no other. With deliciously diverse food, toe-tapping musical performances, and family-friendly games, this year’s What the Fluff? will make your troubles melt like lemon drops and have you rejoicing “peanut butter & bread & Fluff! Oh my!” So, follow the marshmallow road to the most magical square in Somerville. There’s No Place Like Fluff.

The annually changing “What the Fluff” t-shirts incorporating that year’s theme have become collectors’ items, and are in high demand each year.  Past festival designs may be found here.

Fluff Festival is brought to you by Union Square Main Streets, an economic empowerment nonprofit working to strengthen the dynamic neighborhood of businesses and people in Union Square and promoting and celebrating its unique and spirited character, in partnership with the Somerville Arts Council.

Focus: What's the most important thing to say or show?

This neighborhood feel-good event has fun for every age and variety of interests. The Festival is always celebrated for its wacky feel, and crafting this year’s design presents an opportunity for artists to visually infuse and inspire a spirit of community into all elements of the festival. Fluff Fest enthusiastically celebrates the elements of local ownership, diversity, community, innovation, and creation that are so central to Union Square and Somerville. 

Union Square Main Streets and the Fluff Festival Planning Team are excited to evoke the spirit of the theme Somerville Over the Rainbow: No Place Like Fluff which presents the opportunity for the public to dance in the streets and celebrate Union Square. Businesses are looking forward to hosting festival-goers for flufftastic activities such as live music, games, Fluff-themed goods, eats, arts, the Mayor Joe Flufftastic Innovation for Impact Award, and more! 

Our goal is to create an iconic image that promotes this year’s theme while highlighting the spirit of this cherished community tradition through posters, t-shirts, social media, etc. 

The design concept should: 

  • Incorporate this year’s theme of “Somerville Over the Rainbow: No Place Like Fluff” 

  • Deliver the stylized theme name with playful imagery

  • Capture a sense of intersection and locality conveyed in theme

  • Evoke the spirit of innovation that the Fluff Festival celebrates 

  • Embody the spirit of Union Square

  • Avoid photographs and direct likeness of the Fluff branding

  • Be kept simple to keep production methods in mind

Design Process, Specifications & Timeline:

Once a designer is selected, they will work with the Fluff Festival team to further develop their selected idea. They will refine the design over a few rounds, and will submit final assets as a completed design along with any relevant assets or design information. 

The finalized design must be:

  • Acceptable and appealing for all ages (though at the same time, Fluff Fest is beloved for its cheekiness!) 

  • Should be scalable for both small and large sizes

  • Adaptable (size and color) to fit all materials, including:

    • Logo 

    • Stickers

    • S-XXL shirts, tank tops, and children sizes

    • Posters & Takeout flyers

    • Digital content for social media and website

      • Ex: FB Banner, IG Square, IG Story, Badge/banner with transparent background

  • Limited to 4 colors or less

  • The final design should be submitted in a vector format (ideally Adobe Illustrator) and separated into layers and outlines as needed for production

  • Able to provide style information such as fonts, and color information

In order to reach marketing and production deadlines, we will have a tight timeline once the designer has been selected. These are the key milestones for this project:

  • All applications submitted by 5/15/24

  • Candidate selected by 5/29/24

  • Receive additional feedback from Fluff Festival team on 6/12/24

  • Finalize design by 6/21/24 (3 months before festival) 

  • Production assets ready by 7/21/24

  • All production complete by 9/1/24

What the Fluff? Festival Design RFP Application

How to apply: 

  • Email your proposal to Jessica Eshleman at usms@unionsquaremain.org

  • Put “Fluff Festival Design Application” and your name in the subject line

  • You should include your thoughts on how to approach this year’s theme visually – you can approach this through a combination of design mockups, visual samples, and a written explanation. 

  • Note: This should not be a finalized design, but a way to share your creative process and thoughts with us on how you would approach this project

  • Submit examples of previous work to showcase your design style and talents!

The Union Square Main Streets Fluff Festival planning team may contact candidates for a quick interview with questions about a proposal or as needed.

Compensation: $750 stipend plus a complimentary vendor space at this year’s What the Fluff? Festival on Saturday, September 21 from 2-6pm (rain date September 22 from 2-6pm).

Deadline for submissions is 11:59pm on May 15, 2024

Fine Print

Important note: Please be aware that your submission represents a commitment to working with the Fluff Team on a tight turnaround timeline to ensure the design’s integrity into production. If your design is selected, you will be asked to adapt the design to fill all collateral and promotional materials so that your work can be featured on promotional items that need to be finished with production by September 1. 

By responding to this RFP, if selected, applicant contestant grants the right to Union Square Main Streets, Inc., and its affiliates to utilize thematic ideas of their Fluff Festival design, or elements thereof, without further compensation or legal obligation.