CLIENT: Mexene Chili Powder
ROLE: Creative Director
DELIVERABLES: Event poster, key visuals
ROLE: Creative Director
DELIVERABLES: Event poster, key visuals
A HANDOUT WORTH STEALING
Mexene didn’t just show up to Terlingua as a sponsor; they showed up with a statement piece. We created a collectible hand-screenprinted poster that honored the cookoff’s desert grit and Mexene’s championship legacy. With its rattlesnake-and-spoon twist on the Rod of Asclepius, the design embodied the heat, the lore, and the legendary spirit of chili.
Mexene didn’t just show up to Terlingua as a sponsor; they showed up with a statement piece. We created a collectible hand-screenprinted poster that honored the cookoff’s desert grit and Mexene’s championship legacy. With its rattlesnake-and-spoon twist on the Rod of Asclepius, the design embodied the heat, the lore, and the legendary spirit of chili.
THE CHALLENGE
Mexene Chili Powder, “The Chili Champions' Choice,” is a longtime staple of competitive chili culture. Endorsed annually by the Chili Appreciation Society International (CASI), Mexene has been used in every winning recipe over the past decade at the World Championship Chili Cookoff in Terlingua, Texas. In 2017, Mexene attended the event as a sponsor and wanted a memorable way to connect with attendees and celebrate its deep roots in chili-making history.
THE IDEA: WIN THE WEST WITH SWAG
Instead of handing out typical promotional swag, we created a collectible, hand-screenprinted poster for attendees. It was a high-quality souvenir designed to capture the spirit of Terlingua and Mexene’s iconic status. Each poster was individually numbered and rooted in both the boldness of chili culture and the lore of the West. The centerpiece was a reimagined Rod of Asclepius, the medical symbol, featuring a wooden chili spoon in place of the staff and a coiled rattlesnake (complete with a sliced jalapeño rattle) in place of the usual serpent. The spoon represents a chili cook’s essential tool, while the rattlesnake evokes both the desert landscape and the bite of extreme chili heat. This tongue-in-cheek nod to medical symbolism referenced the “treatment” attendees might need after days of spicy indulgence and festival debauchery. We leaned into a vintage, screenprinted look inspired by Western signage and folk art, paired with modern craft cues to elevate the piece.
Mexene Chili Powder, “The Chili Champions' Choice,” is a longtime staple of competitive chili culture. Endorsed annually by the Chili Appreciation Society International (CASI), Mexene has been used in every winning recipe over the past decade at the World Championship Chili Cookoff in Terlingua, Texas. In 2017, Mexene attended the event as a sponsor and wanted a memorable way to connect with attendees and celebrate its deep roots in chili-making history.
THE IDEA: WIN THE WEST WITH SWAG
Instead of handing out typical promotional swag, we created a collectible, hand-screenprinted poster for attendees. It was a high-quality souvenir designed to capture the spirit of Terlingua and Mexene’s iconic status. Each poster was individually numbered and rooted in both the boldness of chili culture and the lore of the West. The centerpiece was a reimagined Rod of Asclepius, the medical symbol, featuring a wooden chili spoon in place of the staff and a coiled rattlesnake (complete with a sliced jalapeño rattle) in place of the usual serpent. The spoon represents a chili cook’s essential tool, while the rattlesnake evokes both the desert landscape and the bite of extreme chili heat. This tongue-in-cheek nod to medical symbolism referenced the “treatment” attendees might need after days of spicy indulgence and festival debauchery. We leaned into a vintage, screenprinted look inspired by Western signage and folk art, paired with modern craft cues to elevate the piece.
What We Made
•A collectible 18x24 hand-screenprinted event poster (numbered edition)
•Large-format digital prints and signage for use across the festival grounds
•A collectible 18x24 hand-screenprinted event poster (numbered edition)
•Large-format digital prints and signage for use across the festival grounds
RESULTS
The poster struck a nerve. Word traveled fast, and the Mexene booth ran out of supplies on day one. Attendees mistook it for the official event poster, and demand was so high that all of the larger prints placed around the grounds were stolen. It quickly became one of the most coveted souvenirs of the weekend, shared widely and remembered fondly by both attendees and organizers.
The poster struck a nerve. Word traveled fast, and the Mexene booth ran out of supplies on day one. Attendees mistook it for the official event poster, and demand was so high that all of the larger prints placed around the grounds were stolen. It quickly became one of the most coveted souvenirs of the weekend, shared widely and remembered fondly by both attendees and organizers.
MY ROLE
It was my responsibility to guide the overall vision and creative direction of the project, collaborating closely with a talented designer/illustrator to bring the concept to life.
It was my responsibility to guide the overall vision and creative direction of the project, collaborating closely with a talented designer/illustrator to bring the concept to life.
Creative Director: Zack Ward
Designer/Illustrator: Ian Wortham
Designer/Illustrator: Ian Wortham