2025 FLUFF FESTIVAL CREATIVE RFP

Deadline for submissions is 11:59pm on May 4, 2025

Please email your submission to Jessica Eshleman at usms@unionsquaremain.org with “Fluff Festival Design Application” and your name in the subject line.

Project Description

What the Fluff? A Tribute to Union Square Innovation,  a festival honoring the invention of Marshmallow Fluff, returns to the Square in all its zany glory for its 20th year. It celebrates Somerville’s proud tradition of innovation with live music, fluffalicious feasts, sticky games and more. This year’s festival will take place on Saturday, September 20 from 2-6pm in Union Square (severe weather date: Sunday, September 21). 

Union Square Main Streets, the producer of the Festival, invites proposals for the most flufftastic design to be used on promotional items, all social media, and all collateral materials. 

In order to find the most creative, fun, and funky design that celebrates the spirit of innovation in Union Square and this year’s theme in a compelling way, USMS is soliciting submissions for this RFP.

Union Square Main Streets is an economic empowerment nonprofit working to strengthen the dynamic neighborhood of businesses and people in Union Square and promoting and celebrating its unique and spirited character. USMS produces the What the Fluff? Festival in partnership with the Somerville Arts Council.

Background / Overview

What the Fluff? 

This wacky, madcap festival honors the invention of Marshmallow Fluff by Archibald Query in Somerville in 1917 and salutes the spirit of innovation that thrives in Union Square today. Now in its 20th year, the What the Fluff? Festival showcases delightful and delectable tastes, the sweetest sights and sounds, and incredible innovations.

Every September since 2005, Marshmallow Fluff has taken over Union Square to instigate all kinds of sticky situations. This year’s theme, Forever Fluff: 20 Years of Sticky, Sweet Somerville, commemorates two decades of this endlessly unique and unexpected celebration. And some folks don’t Fluff around for just one day. Fluff tattoos, Fluff babies, Fluff engagements and I dos; this festival has seen it all. Life is eternally changing. Fluff is Forever. 

The annual “What the Fluff” t-shirts incorporating each year’s theme have become collectors’ items and are in high demand.  Past festival designs may be found here.

Focus: What's the most important thing to say or show?

This neighborhood, feel-good event has something for every age and interest. The Festival is celebrated for its wacky feel, but also for its spirit of community. Fluff Fest enthusiastically celebrates the elements of local ownership, diversity, community, innovation, and creation that are integral to Union Square and Somerville. Local businesses look forward to hosting festival-goers for flufftastic activities such as live music, games, Fluff-themed goods, eats, arts, the Mayor Joe Flufftastic Innovation for Impact Award, and more! 

All applicants are asked to infuse this year’s event theme Forever Fluff: 20 Years of Sticky, Sweet Somerville into their submission. 

The goal is to create an iconic image that promotes the theme while also highlighting the spirit of this cherished community tradition through posters, t-shirts, social media, etc. 

The design concept should:

  • Incorporate this year’s theme of “Forever Fluff: 20 Years of Sticky, Sweet Somerville”

  • Deliver the stylized theme name with playful imagery

  • Capture a sense of intersection and locality conveyed in theme

  • Evoke the spirit of innovation that the Fluff Festival celebrates 

  • Embody the essence of Union Square

  • Avoid photographs and direct likeness of the Fluff branding

  • Be kept simple to keep production methods in mind

Design Process, Specifications & Timeline:

Once a designer is selected, they will work with the Fluff Festival team to further develop their selected idea. They will refine the design over a few rounds, and will submit final assets as a completed design along with any relevant assets or design information. 

The finalized design must be:

  • Acceptable and appealing for all ages (though at the same time, Fluff Fest is beloved for its cheekiness!) 

  • Scalable for both small and large sizes

  • Adaptable (size and color) to fit all materials, including:

    • Logo 

    • Stickers

    • S-XXL shirts, tank tops, and children sizes

    • Posters and takeout flyers

    • Digital content for social media and website

      • Ex: FB Banner, IG Square, IG Story, Badge/banner with transparent background

  • Limited to 4 colors or fewer

  • Submitted in a vector format (ideally Adobe Illustrator) and separated into layers and outlines as needed for production

  • Submitted with style information such as fonts and color 

In order to reach marketing and production deadlines, there is a tight timeline once the designer has been selected. These are the key milestones for this project:

  • All applications submitted by 11:59pm on 5/04/25

  • Candidate selected by 5/16/25

  • Receive initial design feedback from the Fluff Festival team by 6/06/25

  • Attend Fluff Festival planning team meeting and receive additional feedback on 6/17/25

  • Finalize design by 7/01/25 

  • Production assets ready by 7/20/25

  • All production complete by 9/01/25

What the Fluff? Festival Design RFP Application

How to apply: 

  • Email your proposal to Jessica Eshleman at usms@unionsquaremain.org

  • Put “Fluff Festival Design Application” and your name in the subject line

  • Include your thoughts on how to approach this year’s theme visually – you can approach this through a combination of design mockups, visual samples, and a written explanation. 

  • Note: This should not be a finalized design, but a way to share your creative process and thoughts with us on how you would approach this project

  • Submit examples of previous work to showcase your design style and talents!

The Fluff Festival planning team may contact candidates for a quick interview with questions, if needed.

Compensation: $1,000 stipend plus a complimentary vendor space at this year’s What the Fluff? Festival on Saturday, September 20 from 2-6pm (rain date September 21 from 2-6pm).

Deadline for submissions is 11:59pm on May 4, 2025

Fine Print

Important note: Please be aware that your submission represents a commitment to working with the Fluff Team on a tight turnaround timeline to ensure the design’s integrity into production. If your design is selected, you will be asked to adapt the design to fill all collateral and promotional materials so that your work can be featured on promotional items that need to be finished with production by September 1.

By responding to this RFP, if selected, applicant contestant grants the right to Union Square Main Streets, Inc., and its affiliates to utilize thematic ideas of their Fluff Festival design, or elements thereof, without further compensation or legal obligation.