BAKU 2025 WORLD EXPO BID
OVERVIEW
Azerbaijan’s bid to host the World Expo 2025 in Baku needed an identity that captured national pride while communicating global significance, an identity that could inspire at home and resonate across international audiences and multiple languages.
STRATEGY
The strategy balanced cultural specificity with global resonance. Drawing on regional symbols, architectural forms, and linguistic cues, the identity expressed both confidence and credibility, positioning Azerbaijan as a capable, forward-looking host nation on the world stage.
OUTPUT
I led the creative direction and designed a flexible visual system, guiding its application across political presentations, urban placemaking, and international communications. I was responsible for the identity of the bid, overseeing a team of freelancers to create the spreads required for the bid books and source imagery. Key outputs included three bespoke bid books presented in a matching slipcase and bag, designed as crafted objects to embody Azerbaijan’s ambition and attention to detail. The bid books were turned around within a tight timeframe to meet the organisers’ deadlines, demanding precision, coordination, and creative consistency under pressure.
IMPACT
The identity became a defining element of Azerbaijan’s campaign, showing how design can operate simultaneously on diplomatic, cultural, and emotional levels. While the bid faced strong global competition, the project demonstrated the power of visual identity to amplify national confidence and communicate a unified vision of progress to the world.
