Buttons have long been used to commemorate special events; some of the earliest buttons made were sold or given out as festival mementos. "Buttons make a great souvenir and are an affordable way for festival attendees to show their support," said Judy Wong of the Independent Film Festival of Boston. The festival, which runs yearly in April, has incorporated buttons into their event for the last several years.
While the the film fest usually opts for just the 1-inch buttons, this year they decided to mix it up and order some rectangle magnets as well. "We wanted to expand the variety of merchandise by offering a magnet, and it turned out that our 2014 campaign poster design worked well within the rectangle layout," Wong said. The poster, which was designed by Matt Sharpe, includes the image of a giant whale looming under Boston’s city skyline. The magnet was then designed using the same nautical elements.
The buttons and magnets were sold to the public during the festival as well as being gifted to attending festival filmmakers upon their arrival."The buttons have become somewhat of a collectible item for many of our regular festival-goers," Wong said. "Some have a button from every year since we started offering them, and wear them to the festival each year."
