Mari-lena's Portfolio

Project Overview

This poster for twenty one pilots’ “The Contract” distills the song’s existential tension into a typographic labyrinth. More than promotional material, it functions as a visual echo of the lyrics—where sleepless nights and broken promises materialize through deliberate fragmentation and haunting repetition.

Concept & Inspiration

The design mirrors the song’s themes of insomnia and fractured identity:

• Asymmetrical text blocks mimic scattered thoughts during sleepless hours, with phrases like “I don’t sleep much, that’s crazy” appearing both as confession and self-interrogation.
• The recurring line “oh, promises and contracts”—positioned like a refrain—visually echoes the cyclical nature of regret.

Materials & Techniques

• Analog Imperfection: Text appears distressed, as if typed on a worn machine or hastily handwritten, reinforcing themes of mental exhaustion. Smudges and uneven kerning suggest the wear of time.
• Digital Disruption: Certain phrases (e.g., “How’d you know that?”) shift in weight or alignment, mirroring the song’s abrupt dynamic changes. The poster could be screen-printed for tactile grit or rendered digitally to emphasize its surreal duality.

Color Palette & Typography

Monochrome Madness:

• A drained sepia or newsprint yellow dominates, evoking old contracts and sleepless-night lamplight. No vibrant colors distract from the textual unease.
• Typewriter-esque fonts reinforce the “contract” motif, while erratic sizing and spacing mimic erratic thought patterns. The word “The Contract” may loom heavier, like an unshakeable obligation.

Visual Impact

This poster doesn’t just advertise—it unsettles. The disjointed composition forces the eye to jump between phrases, replicating the song’s lyrical disorientation. Like twenty one pilots’ music, the design balances raw emotion with meticulous craft: every misplaced line and repeated phrase feels intentional, a mirror to the band’s signature blend of chaos and control. Held in hands, the texture would whisper of midnight oil and crumpled paper; viewed from afar, it becomes a stark monument to insomnia’s poetry.