FAILED / Metod Brands
Self-Initiated Event Platform, Brand Creation & Full-Service Conference Production
Event Concept & Strategy · Naming · Brand Positioning · Visual & Verbal Identity · Website & Digital Experience · Campaign Strategy · Social Media · Public Relations · Growth Strategy · Sponsorship & Partnership Development · Program Curation · Exhibition Concept · Experience Design · Full Event Production
FAILED is a new event concept – a blend of conference, celebration and full-sensory experience shaped into one emotional journey through visuals, sound, and stories. It is created with the idea to grow into a platform that normalizes failures on the path to success.
It was built around the stories no one usually puts on stage: the bold decisions, the rejected ideas, risks and innovations that didn’t pay off, but ultimately made the work (and life) better. Behind every great piece of work in any industry, there’s a version that didn’t make it. Those are the stories worth hearing.
FAILED was conceived as an open, participatory experience, bringing speakers and attendees together and allowing the stories and conversations to continue beyond the stage.
FAILED was was conceived, developed and produced by Metod Brands from the ground up.
We acted simultaneously as concept creator, brand owner, organizer and full-service event agency. We transformed an initial idea into a complete event proposition. We defined its purpose, audience, positioning, identity, commercial model and live experience.
Our team led every layer of the project: from naming, brand strategy and visual design to the website, campaign, media relations, sponsorships, ticket sales, program development, venue planning and production of the event itself.
FAILED became one of the most comprehensive projects in our portfolio and an important milestone in demonstrating our ability to originate and deliver a complex public event.
FAILED was designed to turn individual stories into shared conversations.
FAILED was built on honesty and a sense of intimacy. Speakers moved beyond polished narratives to share the doubts, decisions and personal moments that usually remain private. This openness shaped the entire experience and created a genuine connection with the audience.
The event concept brought together three interconnected experiences:
Together, they created a progression from focused conversation and reflection to informal connection, celebration and community building.
Why Failed? A conference called FAILED is hard to ignore. The name puts failure front and centre, giving it the attention usually reserved for success.
It is bold, memorable and instantly understood — while remaining flexible enough to work across industries and future international editions.
The same direct and provocative tone shaped the key messages:
What we wanted for FAILED was a bold, modern and provocative identity that communicated the concept from the very first look.
The visual system was intentionally unconventional. A striking colour palette was combined with deliberate imperfections, misalignments and details that would normally be considered design “don’ts”. These small, intentional mistakes were created to look like errors and make the overall appearance feel slightly off — enough to catch the eye and create tension, while still functioning as a coherent and recognizable visual identity.
It needed to work equally well across digital communication, printed materials and a complex physical event environment.
The identity was translated across the event logo, typography, colour system, motion graphics, website, social content, speaker announcements, accreditations, signage, stage visuals and exhibition materials.
The FAILED website was developed as the central digital expression of the event and the primary point of contact for its different audiences.
Its structure introduced the conference concept, program, speakers, Hall of Fail exhibition, afterparty and partnership opportunities, while guiding visitors toward the information and participation path most relevant to them.
Beyond presenting the event, the website supported ticket sales, corporate inquiries, media communication, partner information and operational updates — bringing the entire FAILED ecosystem together within one coherent digital experience.
We developed and managed the complete launch and promotional campaign for FAILED.
Communication unfolded in stages, with messages adapted to each phase and channel: introducing the concept, revealing the visual identity, announcing speakers, opening ticket sales, presenting the Hall of Fail and afterparty, introducing partners and building momentum towards the event.
The campaign combined social media, digital advertising, direct industry communication, public relations and media partnerships. It included television appearances on popular channels, bus advertising across Belgrade, editorial content in partner magazines, and extensive visibility through one of Serbia’s most-read weekly publications — with an editorial feature on its online platform and advertisements in the print edition.
The speaker lineup played an important role during one phase of the campaign, but it was never the campaign’s only message. The central focus remained the FAILED concept itself, with each channel used to introduce and explain the new format in the most relevant way.
FAILED was planned as one connected, immersive experience rather than a sequence of unrelated talks.
Every operational decision supported one goal: to make the audience feel part of an honest conversation, rather than passive listeners. The space, programme and event flow were designed to encourage interaction throughout the day, allowing conversations with speakers to continue naturally beyond the stage.
We shaped the complete experience — from arrival and registration to the talks, breaks, Hall of Fail exhibition and afterparty. Each segment had a clear role, giving attendees opportunities to explore the exhibition, vote for Fail of the Year, connect with speakers and engage with partners.
The production scope covered venue planning, audience flow, accreditation, stage management, run of show, audiovisual coordination, speaker management, hospitality, sponsor integration, food and beverage, signage and on-site coordination.
The afterparty extended the experience to a wider creative community, turning the final part of the programme into a space for informal conversations, networking and celebration.
We conceived Hall of Fail as an interactive exhibition within the wider conference experience.
It presented unpublished, rejected or unsuccessful creative work that would otherwise remain hidden — campaigns that never launched, concepts that lost approval and ideas that never reached the public. Each work was accompanied by the story of what happened and why it failed.
The audience was invited to vote for Fail of the Year, with the work receiving the most votes awarded the FAILED trophy.
Hall of Fail extended the conference theme beyond the talks, turning it into a shared visual and participatory experience.
FAILED evolved from an internal idea into an independent event platform with its own positioning, identity, audience, commercial framework and production model.
At its very first edition, the concept attracted a distinctive international and regional lineup: Victor Knaap, CEO and co-founder of Monks; Fran Mubrin, Creative Director at 404; Monica Franco, Creative Director at Lisbon’s 100 Maneiras; and Slavimir Futro Stojanović, one of the most influential figures in Serbian design.
The first edition drew a strong audience response and created an atmosphere of genuine participation, with attendees actively engaging in the talks, exhibition and conversations throughout the event.
For Metod Brands, FAILED marked a significant expansion of our practice. It demonstrated our ability to combine strategy, branding, digital, communication, growth, partnerships and full event production — taking an original concept from the first idea to a complete live experience.
The successful pilot also confirmed that FAILED can grow beyond its first edition and beyond the creative industry.
We are now developing the next phase of FAILED, exploring international editions through local partnerships and franchise models.
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