Scoring a new identity for a new generation

London Symphony Orchestra

#### IN BRIEF

The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is one of the world’s top five orchestras, with achievements like running its own record label, LSO Live, conducting music education community programmes and performing to one billion people at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. 

But despite its progressive activities, the brand identity was rooted in the past and failed to reflect the reality of the LSO experience. LSO needed to find compelling new ways to connect with its audience and a younger generation, so that it could remain an integral and enduring part of society.

We embraced the LSO’s forward-thinking spirit to create a brand identity that captures the emotional power, texture and movement of classical music and makes it relevant to a new generation.

#### WHAT WE DID

The brand evolution coincided with an important moment in the LSO’s story: the appointment of celebrated conductor, Sir Simon Rattle, as Musical Director. This provided the inspiration for a brand identity that begins in the same place as a concert performance – with the conductor.

We wanted to capture the shape of a concert performance and reflect the emotional power, texture and motion of music. 

Working with Vicon Systems and The University of Portsmouth School of Creative Technologies, we used state-of-the-art cameras to capture Sir Simon’s every movement as he conducted Elgar’s Enigma Variations. The footage, recorded at 120 frames per second, conjures up striking images of every sweep, stab and twist of the baton. 

In partnership with digital artist, Tobias Gremmler, the data was transformed into a series of animated films that reflect the emotional qualities of the music. Through creative interpretation, the cacophony of the Orchestra at full force becomes an explosive vortex of wood, brass and strings. In quiet, smouldering moments, the LSO string section conjures towers of smoke. And throughout the piece, Sir Simon Rattle’s sweeping gestures are rendered in wires reminiscent of the strings of the instruments themselves.

The motion of the conductor is echoed in the typography designed for the campaign: the font features strike-throughs in the letterforms, in keeping with the dramatic movements of the conductor and the music itself. 

Placing Sir Simon Rattle at the heart of the brand brings new life to the LSO’s identity – an evolved version of our own design, in use since 2004. It is a demonstration of how brands can evolve over time to support new vision. Like the LSO’s real-life conductor, its brand identity now stands front and centre, as the source of direction and interpretation for the LSO’s musicians.

From designing new seasonal campaigns and LSO’s exhibition at the Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York, to global advertising for the launch of LSO on Apple Music and creating a series of seasonal campaigns for the past five years – we have helped the brand to grow and inspire new audiences.

> "The process we have been taken through has been enlightening and made us question many aspects of how a 21st century orchestra should appear to its audience, with the end result being both bold, confident and forward-thinking, and a stunning reflection of how music can inspire, and now exist, in design."
>
> *— Edward Appleyard, LSO Senior Marketing Manager, Brand & Communications*

A BRAND IDENTITY THAT CAPTURES THE EMOTIONAL POWER, TEXTURE AND MOVEMENT OF CLASSICAL MUSIC

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Senior Marketing Manager, Brand & Communications, London Symphony Orchestra

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Creating a brand identity for LSO that captures the emotional power, texture and movement of music and makes it relevant to a new generation.

Superunion | London Symphony Orchestra 

Superunion and Design Bridge come together to create Design Bridge and Partners. Redefining what design is and what design can do for brands, businesses, people and the planet. We are a revolutionary design partnership.

Design Bridge and Superunion come together to create Design Bridge and Partners. Redefining what design is and what design can do for brands, businesses, people and the planet. We are a revolutionary design partnership.