GERMAN CHRISTMAS MARKET, NEW DELHI
25TH EDITION OF IGCC GERMAN CHRISTMAS MARKET
CLIENT
Indo German Chamber of Commerce
DOMAIN
Social Event
SCOPE OF WORK
Branding, Graphic Design, Environmental Graphics, Promotional Graphics
To craft the visual language for the special 25th edition of the German Christmas Market, organised by the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce at Nehru Park, New Delhi, we wanted to blend nostalgia with local character. The design embraced warm, muted tones—deep greens, rich reds, and golden accents—evoking a timeless festive charm. Elements like hand done illustrations, typography, botanical motifs, and soft, textured finishes created an old-world allure. Integrating the park’s natural beauty, twinkling lights, and cozy ember hues brought a harmonious connection to the space, blending Delhi’s essence with European holiday spirit for a magical, immersive experience. For over two decades, the German Christmas Market has been more than just an annual event—it has been a vibrant blend of European tradition and Indian spirit of celebration, its festive stalls, mulled wine, and twinkling lights have created an atmosphere both authentic and unmistakably its own.
The event’s visual identity underwent a meticulous refresh—not a reinvention, but a thoughtful evolution that stayed true to its origins. First designed in the 1990s, the market’s original branding bore all the hallmarks of nostalgia—charming, illustrated details reminiscent of Christmas cards, typography that wouldn’t look out of place in a classic Disney film, and an unapologetically playful spirit. It was a style that stood in contrast to contemporary event branding, yet it was precisely this character that had made the market so beloved over the years.
The challenge was to retain that warmth and whimsy while adapting the identity for modern application. The Santa Claus flying over a quaint, snow-dusted town—an illustration-heavy logo rarely seen in today’s brand landscapes—was carefully refined rather than overhauled. Its linework was adjusted for better digital legibility, and subtle refinements ensured it could scale seamlessly across print, web, and social platforms.
Typography, too, was a key focus. The original type treatment, steeped in 90s, needed a contemporary touch while maintaining its friendly, family-oriented appeal. A series of iterations explored ways to strip away excess while preserving the expressive, storybook-like charm. The final result balanced nostalgia with modernity—casual, inviting, and unmistakably festive. By choosing evolution over reinvention, the German Christmas Market’s identity refresh stands as a breakaway from conventional event branding.
There’s something unmistakably nostalgic about illustrated vintage greeting cards—the warmth of an illustrated festive scene, the kind of charm that digital precision often struggles to replicate. It was this sentiment that shaped the branding and event graphics for the 25th edition, a celebration that first took root in the 1990s and has since become a seasonal staple in the city’s cultural calendar. December looked back to the era when the market began, drawing inspiration from the greeting cards and festive typography of the time.
The visual language was steeped in the familiar warmth of illustrated elements—playful, slightly whimsical, and undeniably festive. Illustrated Christmas setting and patterns were crafted in the same spirit as classic holiday cards. These visuals extended beyond the core identity into signage, event graphics, and even social media, tying together the physical and digital experience with a seamless, handcrafted aesthetic.
This approach celebrated richness instead of minimalism, embraced organic illustrations instead of grids, a marked departure from the polished branding trends often seen in event design today. Instead of minimalism, it celebrated richness; instead of rigid grids, it embraced organic illustration. The identity resonated with a generation that grew up with the warmth of handwritten cards and storybook-like typography. The event design honoured the market’s rich history, ensuring that visitors -families and children still experience the same magic, but with a language that’s built for today.
