"Mecha Invasion" is the first comprehensive survey of Japanese toy robots in the United States. The unique collection of robots showcases vintage specimens dating back to 1972-1982, on loan from Boston-based architect Warren Schwartz. Schwartz is considered one of the top collectors of Japanese toy robots in the United States with the total number of toys in the collection currently sitting at more than 1,000. Many of the Japanese toys are modeled after certain characters, which have since become popular playthings for children.
For the design of the exhibit campaign, I wanted to put the toy robots at the forefront and really show off the vast variety of different figures featured in the exhibit. Seeing Schwartz's impressive collection, something that stood out to me was the methodical way in which he categorized all of the toys.
This idea of product photography and cataloging inspired the layout of the posters and other designs in which the toy robots are set against a clean, white background, letting the bright colors of the toys stand out. The text and images were then placed at different angles and sizes, subtly referencing how toys are strewn about after a play session with children, but the consistency of the angles adds back in a touch of order and hierarchy. This was combined with the Futura typeface, a sans-serif that was clean and contemporary but, with its geometric forms, referenced the building blocks and forms found in the structures of many of the toy robots.