Wicked Ball Shipwrecked and Never After posters
← All Projects

Event Branding

WickedBall

Role

Creative Director & Lead Designer

Year

2021 & 2022

Location

Talking Stick Resort

Type

Event Branding

A reimagined Halloween tradition where immersive storytelling meets nightlife spectacle.

The Ask

Wicked Ball has been Talking Stick Resort's signature Halloween event for over a decade. In recent years, I led a creative evolution, developing new concepts that pushed the boundaries of themed entertainment while elevating the visual identity to a more cinematic, high-design space.

As Creative Director and Lead Designer, I developed the full brand vision for Wicked Ball across multiple years, including theme ideation, naming, brand identity, visual direction, campaign design, and all supporting assets for digital and on-site activations.

The Strategy

Phoenix and Scottsdale are saturated with Halloween nightlife, so Wicked Ball had to feel bigger, bolder, and more refined than club promotions. Our goal: create scroll-stopping creative that doubled as event storytelling and positioned Wicked Ball as a can't-miss luxury Halloween experience — complete with a $10K costume contest and nationally recognized DJs.

2021: Shipwrecked

A fantasy-sci-fi mashup set in an eerie, oceanic underworld, where sirens, shipwrecks, and treasure ruins collided beneath a moonlit sky.

  • Monochromatic teals and deep sea blues
  • Coral textures and decayed ship details
  • Chrome typography with nautical grit
  • Mermaid-meets-cyberpunk costume styling
  • Integrated glowing FX and moonlit elements

2022: Never After

A surrealist fairytale turned nightmare. This theme twisted beloved stories into dark, seductive tales — featuring cursed queens, shattered mirrors, and haunted forests.

  • Gothic serif type with fractured overlays
  • Crimson reds, forest greens, twilight purples
  • Light leaks and dreamy smoke textures
  • Conceptual props (e.g., poisoned apples, blood red lips)
  • Mirror motifs throughout wayfinding and visuals

Deliverables (each year)

  • Brand identity and theme logos
  • Campaign graphics for social, web, and email
  • LED screen takeovers and motion graphics
  • Environmental signage and branded decor
  • Wristbands, entry signage, and menus
  • Promotional materials for Entertainment and Promotions

The Impact

Each year's theme helped raise the bar for what Wicked Ball could be. These rebrands shifted the event perception from a "party with a DJ" to a fully immersive signature experience, increasing anticipation, social traction, and overall guest satisfaction.

In Motion

Video

Wicked Ball 2021 — Hype Video

Wicked Ball — Teaser

The Work

Selected Deliverables

Click any image to view full size

Release After Dark billboard at sunset

Next Project

Release Pool Parties

Event Branding2019–2021