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Proclaimed “Keeper of the nation’s collective identity,” the Canadian Council of Archives faced a hefty challenge in producing a brochure worthy of its weighty title. Design of the aptly named work, “Souvenirs,” was entrusted to Kolegram, who ensured that the nationalistic and archival thread present in their client’s organization would be similarly refiected in the brochure.

The result “works well in both of Canada’s official languages,” notes Kolegram’s Gontran Blais, and the color palette of red and white with black also has a “strong Canadian reference.” Such reference was crucial—“Souvenirs” was distributed to stakeholders, VIPs and government agency ministers as a corporate gift. Stylistically it functions as an informative, portable brochure, urging recipients to consult the online collections of 20 Canadian archives. The booklet’s images represent important facets of Canadian cultural history: Logging images, employment posters and caricatures offer Canadians a chance to visualize individual histories through their country’s collective archives. “I wanted the piece to have the feel of a historic photo album,” Blais explains. “The use of file numbers and icons for the images also gives it a file-source accessible quality. It ended up looking like a true archival collection that both client and audiences would appreciate.” by Lara Bullock

Kolegram | Art Director: Gontran Blais | Designer: Gontran Blais | Client: Canadian Council of Archives | Contact: www.kolegram.com