YES Theatre & STC Pilot Season Visual Identity

We set out to make a visual identity that felt appropriate for Sudbury theatre but was an ownable aesthetic for both YES Theatre and Sudbury Theatre Centre (STC). The amalgamation that takes place in the identity between both theatre companies is a partnership between the bold type and heavy weighted visuals typical of the STC and the colour and vibrancy of YES Theatre.

For this ‘pilot’ season, both theatre companies are hosting and coproducing the season, both MainStage and off stage through their educational programs. That was a particular challenge in where the direction should go for the main visual identity, since the audience and patrons coming in contact with the brand would be from different areas in the community and each one would need something different from the brand and the trust that both companies have built over their combined decades of bringing theatre to Sudbury.

While the main visuals were blended into a combination of both STC and YES Theatre, the needs for our digital materials varied. The over arching umbrella of needs meant that some deliverables would be seamless and have to come from both the STC and YES Theatre.

The launch presentation is a great example of this as it was coming from both theatre companies about the partnership but for sponsorship and historic needs from YES Theatre, it was important to have the surface identity from the partnership but the core values of YES Theatre needed to shine through. Brand trust and vulnerability are important factors when it comes to fundraising and impact statements as it speaks to the history and legacy of YES Theatre. Something that existed a decade before this partnership and will stand long after the companies fortify their stance with each other.

Unlike digital media, the YES Theatre online presence had less room for exploration. Since the ‘pilot’ season is being hosted on both websites the collaboration between myself and the STC creative team needed to be seamless when it came to copy, intent and direction for our audience since we needed both to be directed to the Box Office.

We made decision to make our copy inline with each other and have the information we needed directed first and foremost to be placed above all overs while letting the separate companies breath within their own brands. To accomplish this on the YES Theatre side, I made sure to keep the colours and type as bold and solid as the digital and print media. The evolution was organic and well received from patrons, marking this a successful brand relaunch.