When Electro Sound Systems returned as a creative and technical partner for Preston & Steve’s Camp Out for Hunger in 2025, the goal was not to reinvent the visual identity of the event, but to refine it. Building on the foundation established in 2024, this year’s work focused on responding directly to client feedback, improving how the graphics performed in a live broadcast environment, and evolving the visual language to feel more dynamic, cohesive, and production-ready.

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This case study explores how a small number of targeted design changes—combined with a flexible animation system—resulted in a stronger on-camera presence and a more unified look across multiple LED formats.

Revisiting the 2024 Look

One thing was very clear in our feedback on the look of the LED graphics from Camp Out For Hunger 2024, the client loved it! The graphics were described by the show’s producer as “exactly the kind of stuff I’ve always been dreaming of having for this event!” The idea was for the graphics, which up until that point had been mostly flat, static graphics to be bold, and add to the shows fun vibe. They were also bright… VERY bright!

The 2024 Camp Out for Hunger graphics featured a predominantly white background. This approach worked well from a branding and legibility standpoint, especially in static mockups and controlled environments. However, once deployed in a live, multi-day broadcast setting competing with stage lighting, camera exposure, and bright LED walls, the white backgrounds began to feel overly dominant.

Based on feedback from the client, the primary request for 2025 was clear: darken the overall look.

Rather than pivoting to a completely new aesthetic, the objective was to evolve the existing system in a way that preserved the style while improving performance in real-world conditions.

No Sunglasses Needed: Improving Contrast for an Impactful Shift

For 2025, the white background was replaced with a dark gray base. The key was to have a background that looked good in the room but also played nicely with the PTZ cameras recording the livestream. Dark gray allowed the foreground elements such as logos, titles, and animated accents, to stand out without overwhelming the frame.

This adjustment had several immediate benefits:

  • Improved contrast on camera

  • Better integration with stage lighting

  • Reduced visual fatigue during long segments

The high contrast, neutral background made the colorful foreground objects really pop.

The next step was to layer some additional grunge and paint textures to match the rock and roll vibe of WMMR.

Putting Brand Inspiration Into Motion

Inspiration for this year’s modifications came from an image on their website featuring the iconic soup can logo paired with lightning bolts. The animations are designed to have a “hand animated feel” that provides some interesting movement that is still subtle enough to not be too distracting.

This living wallpaper created a backdrop for the event that addied energy and movement without distracting from foreground content or on-screen talent.

Preparing Assets for Live Playback in Millumin

Once the animations were rendered, assets were programmed for live playback in Millumin. This meant thinking beyond aesthetics and focusing on reliability, speed, and flexibility during a live show. The graphics playback was programmed so that at the push of a button, the overall look on the wall could change to whichever segment the show hosts felt like going next.

Graphics were structured so they could be:

  • Updated quickly during the broadcast

  • Interact with the LED wall as well as the broadcast provided by Neuman University

  • Deployed consistently across multiple screens and systems

By designing with live playback in mind from the start, the graphics remained responsive rather than rigid. This is an essential requirement for a fast-paced, multi-day event.

Updating and Expanding Segment Graphics

In addition to the background system, several segment title graphics were refreshed or newly created to align with the updated visual language.

New titles were designed for: Sports, In the News, Weather and Hollywood Trash

These were created to visually complement existing animated segments, including: Music News, Traffic Report and The Bizarre Files.

Although not a part of the everyday livestream, the new titles provided an elevated show experience for the live crowd in the tent throughout the show.

Working Smarter Not Harder

Another addition to programming the show was to have a way to automatically update the livestream hourly sponsor both in room and in the on-air graphics. Electro was able to setup a laptop running Qlab to output a sponsor logo that automatically cycles to the next sponsor every hour on the hour. That graphic was then fed over the network to target areas set up on the skirt screen in front of the radio team as well as the on screen “bug” graphic on the livestream broadcast. The logos ran like literal clockwork, auto updating over the five days. This freedom allowed for more fun interactions like a live web browser that could pull up a story or image online while be discussed in a segment of “The Bizarre Files.”

Seeing It All Come Together Live

Once deployed in the live environment, the updates immediately paid off. The darker palette improved camera exposure making it easier for the students running the livestream cameras, the animated pattern added energy without distraction, and the new segment titles helped the broadcast feel even more cohesive from start to finish for the live audience.

Across main LED walls, supporting displays, and livestream feed, the graphics worked as a single system rather than a collection of isolated assets. This consistency helped reinforce Camp Out for Hunger’s branding throughout the event while allowing the hosts, performers, and cause itself to remain the focal point.

Key Takeaways

This project reinforced several principles that guide Electro’s approach to live event design:

  • Strong design systems evolve through collaboration and feedback

  • Small palette changes can dramatically improve live performance

  • Designing for live playback requires thinking beyond the timeline

By refining (not reinventing) the visual identity for Camp Out for Hunger 2025, Electro was able to deliver graphics that were more adaptable, more broadcast-friendly, and even better aligned with the realities of live production while keeping an aesthetic in tact that the client already loved.