Ville de Genève — Campaign by twks: Geneva 2040. A campaign that speaks volumes

Services: Campaign
Industries: Institutional

The Municipal Master Plan is an urban planning document revised every ten to fifteen years. A technical, administrative, indispensable tool. And by definition, not very sexy. The City of Geneva had a clear ambition nonetheless: get Genevans to come and discover their city of tomorrow, involve them, gather their feedback. Turn a regulatory obligation into a civic moment.

TWKS designed the communication campaign for the Genève 2040 exhibition. Thirty days of public consultation. One single mission: get people out of their homes to talk about their city.

Wording that stops you in your tracks

The creative angle is carried entirely by language. No spectacular visuals, no utopian promise about the city of tomorrow. Sentences that speak to people directly, with a mix of warmth and deliberate humour. "2040 isn't that far away actually, it's right here." "By 2040, you'll have a few wrinkles. We won't." Lines that strip the mystique from urban planning without undermining it. That make you want to come without overpromising. The tone is that of a city speaking to its residents like adults, with wit and sincerity.

A visual system that signals

The campaign's graphic identity is built to work in public space. Vivid orange, massive typography, dynamic compositions. Posters that impose themselves on the urban landscape without asking permission. The message lands before you even read it.

The system rolls out from large-format outdoor advertising to social media, from the printed programme to digital communications. A single visual language, recognisable at a glance, designed for an entire city.

Results

A campaign that turned an urban planning document into a civic invitation. An exhibition that mobilised Genevans around their city of tomorrow across thirty days of public consultation. Proof that an institutional subject can speak to everyone, as long as you find the right words.