London Symphony Orchestra: Design & Branding

Credits & Description:

Brand LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Entrant SUPERUNION LONDON
SUPERUNION London, United Kingdom Entrant Company
SUPERUNION London, United Kingdom Idea Creation
MAINFRAME London, UNITED KINGDOM Production
Stuart Radford Superunion Executive Creative Director
Marc Spicer Superunion Senior Designer
Miki Nathan Superunion Junior Account Manager
Edward Appleyard LSO Client
University of Portsmouth and Vicon Motion Systems University of Portsmouth and Vicon Motion Systems Motion Capture
Mainframe Mainframe Animation
Synopsis
The LSO has a uniquely strong reputation for innovation.
In 2017, Sir Simon Rattle was announced as Music Director – based on shared values and passions. His first season coincided with a new visual identity which puts him at the heart of the brand, reinterpreting motion data with a new artist every year to create ‘conducted’ film and imagery reflecting the themes of the season.
The LSO’s second season under the direction of Sir Simon Rattle is embodied by the theme ‘Music of the Land’ – featuring pieces inspired by landscapes. Landscapes have long been a visual shorthand for classical music but suggest a predictable and clichéd form of the music. For a progressive company with a visceral playing style, we used motion capture technology of Sir Simon Rattle conducting the LSO to create reimagined landscapes that are truly reflective of their exhilarating performances.
Outcome
The season 2018/19 campaign has had great success for the orchestra driving new and existing audiences to engage with the LSO both digitally on social media and with ticket sales.
Execution
Motion data captured in 360° was transformed into abstract land forms. Their formation is guided by the conductor’s baton, and the terrain reacts to the details of the orchestra’s performance.
The films and subsequent stills form the basis of the new seasons campaign, combined with expressive typography to showcase events online, in print and around London and the Barbican.
Campaign Description
We were asked to create a campaign to promote the London Symphony Orchestra’s 2018/19 season – the second under the direction of Sir Simon Rattle. The encompassing theme of the season is ‘Music of the Land’ – music inspired by landscapes.
Rather than the clichéd ‘rolling hills’ that have represented classical music for a century, we chose to imagine new ones.
Fundamental to the campaign is the new visual identity launched last year, which reinterprets motion capture data in collaboration with a different artist every year, communicating the emotion and experience of an LSO performance in new and unexpected ways.