OUGD505 - Studio brief 01 - Tour de France grand depart

The final idea I selected to research was Tour de France grand depart, its an obvious response in many ways but I wanted to find something different to put a new spin on the grand depart which has been represented numerous times through graphic design.

Overview of social and cultural benefits
This was the fourth Tour to contain stages in the United Kingdom, after 1974, 1994 and 2007. With the first of the two stages held in Yorkshire, started in Leeds and finished in Harrogate, with stage two held between York and Sheffield. When the riders passed through Yorkshire it was a day of extraordinary colour, fervour and intensity. With Yorkshire embracing the Tour de France with spectacular enthusiasm as 2.5 million people lining the route. Knowing that 2.5 million people came out to watch the race easily means this is one of the biggest events to affect Yorkshire in a while. Two to three million had been expected, so for the businessmen and businesswomen of Yorkshire they made a killing. Many farmers offered acres of land for car parking but at an astronomical price, but personally I don't blame them because they took advantage of an opportunity that would benefit them. Many farmers benefited from the tour visiting Yorkshire, and this is an example of my aim in research to look at different social and cultural benefits of the tour.

In terms of how the tour benefited Yorkshire financially, it cost between £6.5m and £10m to stage the tour and roughly generated about £100m over the weekend with global TV audience of millions. Financially it benefited many people as I showed with the farmers but I'm more interested in was how many people had their eyes on Yorkshire. The massive tv audience allowed the world to see Yorkshire for what it is, a hidden gem, a region of incredible food and drink, of natural beauty thats been under the radar. The tour acted as a advert for the region and allowed people to get a feel of the Yorkshire countryside.

Two days before the start of the race the team presentation ceremony took place inside the First Direct Arena. From the image you can see the French flag colours lighting up the city, and you get a reel feel of the people of Leeds adopting the famous French race.

"As a city and county we are already seeing the legacy of the Tour, with more people cycling than ever. We are firmly committed to maximising that enthusiasm and the unique range of benefits the event has brought and will continue to bring in the months and years to come." Councillor Keith Wakefield, Leader of Leeds City Council states that the tour left a legacy with more people cycling than ever which would have benefited the bike shops of Yorkshire. 

Key findings I found in research that benefited Yorkshire include:

• The race was watched in person by approximately one in four people in the whole of Yorkshire and the Humber region
• The event attracted 113,000 visitors from outside the UK, generating £33m into the UK economy
• 92 per cent of spectators who watched the Yorkshire stages felt the Tour had been positive for the region, as well as 79% of those who attended 
• The Yorkshire Festival 2014, the first of its kind, saw more than 800,000 people attend more than 2,000 performances of arts and culture in the 100 days leading up to the Grand Départ
• The official website letouryorkshire.com received two million visits during the week of the Tour starting, with over eight million page views

Their is no doubt the tour elevated Yorkshire and Leeds, globally like it has never been before. It showcased the region and the people to the world and the results paid off in the end with tourism, business and cycling all increasing in the region. 

Graphic design related to the tour

Passport design bureau were approached by the city council, in partnership with the Tour de France, to develop a visual identity for the city dressing to help Leeds make a bold statement in welcoming a huge number of visitors and the world's media. The concept was all about the distinctive Yorkshire accent with a French twist, this light-hearted tone was intended to show Yorkshire's typical sense of humour through a fun linguistic crossover. The identity was further developed through simple illustrations depicting well-known French/Yorkshire landmarks and icons applied through the colour palette of the unmistakable Tour de France jerseys. As the city dressing was intended to be used within busy environments such as the train station and shopping centres, the visual style was influenced by iconography and road signage through using bold, clear typography and simple shapes.

Progress Packaging curated a selection of yellow musettes designed by creative studios, illustrators and cycling brands to celebrate the Tour de France’s departure from Yorkshire. Before this research I had no idea what a musette was but its a small cycling bag that sits between the shoulders, allowing cyclists to carry essentials during races. Altogether 14 two-sided designs, were screen printed on to dyed yellow cotton, to celebrate the Tour’s arrival in the county on July 5 2014. Contributors include Rapha, whose typographic design celebrates Yorkshire vernacular.

Build 

Assembly

Paul Smith designed these three bright posters in order to celebrate the arrival of the Tour de France in the UK. The use of the mustard yellow colour helps highlight the outlined cycling route, along with bold typography to name the routes. A famous cycling fan, Paul was very excited to participate in the celebration. He explains: “The Tour de France doesn’t come to the UK too often so when I was asked to contribute to the build-up to this great sporting spectacle I was delighted!”