The Challenge
English National Ballet wanted to refresh their brand identity to better reflect their mission of opening up the possibilities of ballet. Working from a renewed brand strategy by Boardroom Consulting, the team needed to expand their brand identity into a cohesive yet flexible design system with more assets, guidance and inspiration. With the ultimate aim of creating a more human and engaging brand that would help them to take ballet to new places – creatively, emotionally, and physically.
The Solution
Building from English National Ballet’s existing brand marque, we expanded the identity system to add more energy, feeling and presence to the brand. From a fluid open-source typeface and flexible logo system, to an emotion-led colour palette and evocative brand photography style, everything was designed to help English National Ballet to connect with more people, in more places, in more ways.
The refreshed identity was then brought to life across the Company’s 25/26 Season. Working with photographer Drew Forsyth, we created the artwork and campaigns for their new season programme. Using the new brand art direction, we created a set of production artworks that were designed to feel more human and capture the individual spirit and emotions of each show.
With a set of new digital and motion assets, the new brand was rolled out across the Company’s digital, social and marketing channels, including a new website designed and built by HdK and a brand campaign designed to put the breadth and reach of English National Ballet, front and centre.
Created in collaboration with:
Strategy – Boardroom Consulting
Research – Indigo
Photography – Drew Forsyth
Photography assistant – Naomi Kane
Retouching – William Chitham & Drew Forsyth
Video – Sean McCrossan
Assistance & BTS – Abbie Jennings
3D Nutcracker Illustration & Video James Poole @Matchbox Studio
Website – HDK