Tommy Cox
Reprise is a campaign focused on reconnecting Irish audiences with local theatre through modern branding, advertising, and social media. I wanted to explore why local theatre feels overlooked by people, even though so many towns across Ireland have strong theatre communities and societies.
The project uses strong visuals, public transport advertising, stickers, memberships, posters, and a digital platform to make theatre feel more exciting, accessible, and part of everyday life again. A big part of the project was creating a visual identity that feels energetic and community-driven while also supporting local theatre groups by helping them promote themselves better.
In Ireland, local theatre is often seen as outdated or only relevant to older audiences, despite the huge number of theatre groups, musical societies, and drama festivals happening across the country. Through my project, I wanted to explore how graphic design and modern advertising could help reconnect younger audiences with local theatre and make it feel more exciting, visible, and accessible again.
I focused on how branding, public campaigns, social media, and digital design could be used to modernise the image of theatre while still celebrating the strong sense of community behind it. A major part of the project was creating work that felt energetic, bold, and engaging enough to stop younger people from overlooking theatre in their everyday lives.
I also wanted to highlight that local theatre is more than just performances; it fosters friendships, opportunities, creativity, and community connections in towns across Ireland. By designing Reprise, I aimed to support local theatre societies by improving visibility, encouraging participation, and helping younger audiences feel more connected to what is happening around them.
My solution to this issue is Reprise, a modern branding and advertising campaign designed to reconnect audiences with local theatre in Ireland. Through a combination of public transport advertising, social media, posters, stickers, memberships, and a digital platform, the campaign aims to make local theatre feel more visible, exciting, and accessible to a new generation.
The goal of Reprise is to challenge outdated perceptions of theatre while supporting local societies in promoting themselves more effectively. By creating a strong and community-driven visual identity, the project encourages people to engage with local theatre, discover events happening around them, and feel more connected to their local creative communities.
This thesis explores how Guinness 0.0 reflects changing attitudes towards alcohol in contemporary Ireland through branding, advertising and visual culture. Using visual analysis and cultural theory, the research examines how Guinness 0.0 maintains the heritage and identity of the Guinness brand while promoting health-consciousness, moderation and inclusivity. It also discusses Irish identity, masculinity, corporate branding, sober curiosity and the role of alcohol-free advertising within modern Irish society. Ultimately, the thesis argues that Guinness 0.0 is not just a product innovation, but a cultural shift that reshapes ideas of drinking, belonging and identity in Ireland.
Hi, I’m Tommy! I’m a Wicklow-based designer with a passion for using my design skills as a tool to help people and communities that might not always have the resources to promote themselves. Most of my work focuses on building visual identities that connect with people, create a sense of community, and actually make an impact. I’m especially interested in projects that encourage engagement, change perceptions, and bring people together.
Just to note… I am also a huge theatre kid, so there’s a high chance my project outcomes will include O.T.T. ideas, dramatic art direction, emotional storytelling, and me treating every presentation like there's a spotlight on me!
