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The Cattle Baron’s Ball is a much-anticipated annual social event

in Dallas, as is its offspring, the Juni or Cattle Baron’s Ball. First

held in 1974, both benefit the area’s American Cancer Society

chapter. Whereas the Cattle Baron’s Ball is a formal affair for well-

heeled grown-ups, the Junior version is strictly for kids and

includes a rodeo, pony rides, rodeo clowns, trick roping, and more.

Jon Flaming of Jon Flaming Design created the invitations for

both events in 2001. Even though the balls are held annually, the

designer basically had to start from scratch because the previ-

ous year’s des

igns had been all-type treatments.

The work that comes through Flaming’s studio is split between

design and illustration, but even his identities tend to have an

illustrative nature. This project was no exception.

“I wanted [the identity for the junior ball] to be like something

you’ d see in a little kid’s picture book, fun for kids and adults

alike,” Flaming explains. “I’ve always liked the 1940s and ’50s

children’

s book illustrations by Leonard Weisbard and Mel Craw-

ford and wanted to create something with that look and feel. By

doing thi s, I felt I could come up with something that would be

appealing to all ages.”

Even with very corporate work, Flaming says, it is possible to be

looser and please a client with a non-Paul Rand logo. Don’t shut

the door to creativity just because a client asks for something tra-

ditional, he advises. Instead, present a full range of moods,

including some less serious thi ngs, and don’t corner yourself into

just presenting what the client asked for.

“

Corporate clients generally want IDs that speak of tradition and

conservative things. I will present them with things like that, but

also with designs that are outside of the corporate box and are

more illustrative—work that is more clever in its approach,” he

notes. “This will usually be very unexpected for them. But in lots

of meetings where I have done this, I frequently hear people say,

‘You know, I never thought of presenting ourselves in a different

kind of way.’”

Flaming kept the main ball’s identity somewhat conservative,

and the junior event’s ID played off of

it in subtle but fun ways.

The base image is of a rider holding his hat and a flag aloft while

sitting astri de a rearing horse. On the junior ball invitation, the

words “Let’s Rodeo” were added to the flag, as were sugges-

tions of an arena, audience, and blue sky. It has the look of a set-

ting a child would really like to visit, the designer says.

“I like to present images that I like, things that I think would look

really cool,” Flaming says. “Clients may say that they don’

t want

that, but it doesn’

t hurt to explore. By doing that, it may actually

solidify in their heads that this is not the way to go. But then again,

it may turn out to be perfect.”

Junior Cattle Baron’s Ball

Event Identity

Jon Flaming Design, Dallas, TX