QATAR PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Striking a Chord

Given the nature of the orchestra, there is always a great deal of information needed: dates, times, places, titles, programs, performers, and often images of performers. And so signature graphic elements need to be discreet and take up limited space. In addition to this, our challenge was provide a solution that accommodates all the information while delivering a brand that can be updated 3 times a week by their in-house team to keep in tune with the orchestra’s changing program. Our first insight was that the old brand was not completely legible because of the long bilingual name. The logo was considerably big and sparked inconsistency as designers would always separate the logotype from the symbol. Our second insight was that a stronger call to action to buy a ticket or subscribe was needed. Direct marketing rather than image advertising is the real crescendo in orchestra marketing.

The brand concept is a modern and minimal take on arabesque architecture, representing the music resonating across the theater, “a place for all”. The diamond shape symbolizes the excellence and brilliance of the orchestra. It is also inspired by the seating chart of the musicians and conductor on the stage (semi-arch). The photographic style is based on close ups to highlight the hidden details and intricacy within this art form. The applications were designed while keeping in mind that they technically needed to be simple and easy for regular updating. The design followed a hidden grid. This made it easy for the in-house designer to implement designs fast while retaining consistency.