V&A Dundee: Tartan

Challenge

Tartan was the first major exhibition curated by V&A Dundee’s in-house team, it coincided with the museum’s 5th birthday and, in another first, had its world premiere in the city.

Through videography and digital platforms, we aimed to connect with the various audience groups identified by the V&A Dundee and make an emotional connection on what tartan means to them whether that is through nostalgia, education, humour or intrigue.

Approach

We began by breaking down tartan’s familiar grid and rebuilding it as a bold image treatment. Photographs are divided, layered and interrupted with blocks of colour sampled directly from the image itself, creating a visual rhythm that echoes the structure of woven cloth.

This approach also nods to the way local landscapes once shaped the colours associated with clan tartans, allowing each image to carry its own distinct palette and sense of place.

The identity takes its cue from tartan itself, a system where the same colours can create radically different results depending on how they are balanced. We applied that idea to the typography, using the custom Spiller V&A type family to build the word “Tartan” from four contrasting typefaces.

The process produced more than 700 individual wordmarks, each with its own rhythm and character. Ten were then selected for motion, creating an identity that constantly shifts and reforms. The result is bold, unpredictable and charged with a punk energy that feels true to tartan’s rebellious spirit.

The result is a visual system that feels rooted in tartan’s history while still being bold and contemporary. Through distinctive image treatments and motion, it captures both the heritage of the material and the many ways it continues to evolve.

Exhibition

With the visual identity in place, the next step was to bring it to life across every public-facing touchpoint at the museum. From wayfinding and signage to banners, merchandise, digital screens and exhibition graphics, each element was designed to feel connected, creating a consistent and memorable experience from the moment visitors arrived.

Motion played a key role in bringing the identity to life. Working with Glasgow-based motion designer Tiernan Crilley, we reimagined the tartan grid as a dynamic suite of assets for social media, exhibition screens and the brand film, building energy and anticipation ahead of the opening.

Campaign

V&A Dundee wanted to create an exciting and dynamic campaign, adaptable to a variety of contexts, designed to stop audiences in their tracks. Engage a variety of people with stories of tartan, creating an emotional hook with audiences.

Videography was key to reaching a broad audience. Rather than simply telling people what tartan means, we let the voices, stories and experiences behind it speak for themselves.

Working with Glasgow-based Flux Video, we travelled across Scotland to capture tartan’s living craft, from Lochcarron’s global fashion production and Gordon Nicolson’s Edinburgh kiltmakers to the Atholl Highlanders and Prickly Thistle’s century-old looms. The film brings together tradition and innovation, showing how a historic craft continues to shape contemporary culture.

Following that journey, we widened the lens to include creatives whose work is shaped by tartan, from Kieran Dodds, Siobhan Mackenzie, Trackie McLeod and Gabriella Marcella (Risotto Studio) . Alongside them, V&A Dundee brought together an extraordinary cast of ambassadors, including Billy Connolly, Alan Cumming, Eunice Olumide, Cheddar Gorgeous and Finlay Wilson, each offering a fresh perspective on tartan’s place in culture today.

Finally, we turned to the people the exhibition was made for. Through street interviews across Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Inverness, we gathered personal memories and interpretations of tartan from judges, students, doctors, market traders and more—revealing just how deeply it runs through everyday life.

The soundtrack was key to bringing the whole film together. We chose “John Riley” by Skye-based band Niteworks, featuring Beth Malcolm, for its bold blend of Gaelic tradition, bagpipes and electronic beats. That mix of heritage and modern energy made it the perfect match for the exhibition’s creative direction.

Social

A 4-pronged approach was devised, flexing to maximise opportunities presented by ambassadors and media, which included relevant contemporary voices, endorsement quotes, positioning and FOMO.

To bring Tartan stateside for the 25th NYC Tartan Day Parade, we created an interactive digital teaser that gave New York audiences a glimpse inside the exhibition. Featuring highlights from its 300 objects, the tool brought the collection to life beyond the museum walls and helped build excitement around the show.

Results

The exhibition welcomed more than 52,000 visitors from 50 countries, proving tartan’s appeal reaches far beyond Scotland. It became V&A Dundee’s second most popular exhibition, drove its strongest social growth and engagement since launch, and exceeded ambitious attendance and income targets.

The campaign went on to win three Gold awards across several national awards bodies, recognising the creativity and impact of the work. For our team, however, its success went far beyond awards. It was a rare opportunity to help bring a deeply personal subject to life, creating stories, experiences and connections that will stay with us long after the exhibition.