Philadelphia Ballet
Brand promotion, strategy, and daring new creative direction for an iconic Philadelphia cultural institution
OVERVIEW
Classic yet contemporary: A bold new creative direction sets the tone for a successful comprehensive branding project for the Philadelphia Ballet.
Awards
Pain points & challenges
The Philadelphia Ballet (FKA Pennsylvania Ballet) needed a fresh vision to reimagine and market their 2018-19 season.
Our challenge was to set the client apart as one of the world’s leading ballet companies with a bold new look and feel that conveyed their innovative approach to classical and contemporary mixed repertoire.
This project was partially inspired by the 2016-17 branding project we undertook for the Ballet, featuring dancers in minimalist costumes and captivating abstract poses against the instantly recognizable backdrop of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
SOLUTIONS: Strategy Meets Creativity
Visual Strategy & Creative Direction
Drawing inspiration from the editorial fashion world, we showcased the new season as a stunning form of art in motion that pushes the boundaries of “traditional” ballet, with a much larger and bolder step beyond the production photos or one-off themed visuals commonly found in peer programs.
To convey the essence of both the client’s classical and more progressive works, we commissioned a photo shoot and led creative direction and visual strategy to reimagine the dancers in select performance scenes.
Visual Design & Copywriting
Incorporating the new photography into season brochure design, modern geometric elements and simple yet striking colorways brought new perspective to classic works like Giselle, Romeo & Juliet, and The Nutcracker, as well as cutting-edge performance premieres.
“We were thrilled to help the Ballet push their visual concept in this design-forward way, and the overwhelmingly positive response we received on all fronts has been really rewarding for our team.”
To further promote the new season lineup — especially to audiences who may have never attended a past performance — we applied the new concepts, designs, and fresh copy to a compelling suite of renewal and acquisition brochures, programs, and collateral materials with an approach that was bold but respectful of the long-standing traditions and branding of this iconic cultural institution.
