Putting belonging at the heart of performing arts

How does an established institution change perceptions from coded exclusivity to an inclusive, welcoming community?

By creating a fresh new brand identity that invites everyone in and celebrates the diversity of voices on the stage.

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Services

Discovery & insights
Brand positioning
Visual identity creation

Opportunity

With the advent of leadership changes, the Seattle Repertory Theatre had created a new vision and implemented programming changes that were more representative of all walks of life and experiences. However, the broader community was unaware of the exciting changes. Despite the changes, the theater continued to use the vernacular and design elements of a traditional theater. And seasonal production changes failed to signal the depth of the change. Additionally, the theater was operating show by show – not building equity in the brand and its vision as a whole.

It was time for the Seattle Repertory Theatre to define a clear vision that would lay the foundation for the brand to become a pillar of the community.

Solution

Northbound embarked on a deep discovery process and worked closely with different audience groups, from new audiences to diverse community members who had never seen a show at the theater before, to clearly identify a new brand positioning and identity that could telegraph their vision of “theater at the heart of public life.” The new visual identity had to exude the vision and signal an accessible, yet dynamic experience once the audience stepped through the doors. A bold and playful color palette with the interplay of typography and photography set an inviting and modern tone. The use of coded language such as “repertory” and “theatre” sent a long-outdated message to the community. We sought to change that. Shortening the name to Seattle Rep and changing the spelling of theater in all uses of the word were just the beginning, and helped to communicate to everyone that you don’t need to understand any codes to walk through the doors.

Result

Seattle Rep launched the new brand identity with excitement for the possibilities of a new, inclusive, modern theater. This resulted in growth in single ticket sales, subscriptions, and contributions during the subsequent season.

Guided by the good work that Northbound accomplished, we completely remade and updated our brand and visual identity and launched a brand-new website. In addition, we launched an institutional advertising campaign in our community based on their work.”

Jeffrey Herrmann

Managing Director, Seattle Rep