SSO
A new voice? Music to our ears
Classical concerts were once seen as something you would don a dinner jacket or diamonds to attend. While the experience is more relaxed these days, some people still think it’s not meant for them.
To change this perception, Sydney Symphony Orchestra asked us to create a voice that could connect with a new generation of classical music lovers – a voice that wouldn’t lose anything of their world-class expertise.
Not for them? Not true
One of the best things about music is how instinctively we respond to it. Anyone can appreciate it, so why not reflect this in more accessible language?
By celebrating music’s emotional power, we aimed to lose any formality and ring true with the way artists and audiences talk today. After input from the team (including the Orchestra’s musicians and most loyal subscribers), we set about tapping into what makes Sydney Symphony distinct.
From black tie to smart casual
As an 80-strong orchestra performing some of the world’s most powerful music, Sydney Symphony has special claim as a moving experience.
Drawing on Principals’ brand idea Feel More, we created voice traits of Powerful, Expert and Elevated – capturing the type of out-of-the-ordinary experience audiences could escape to in the concert hall.
Drum roll, please
Now a careful balance between emotion and expertise, the new voice explores a bolder, more candid tone as it shares the stories behind its music and achieves what their performances already do beautifully – connect with people.
While the identity was rolled out online during the first lockdown, the Orchestra is now back in their Sydney Opera House home, and we’re still writing their concert copy each season. (A mammoth job!)
“The new tone of voice really captures the feeling for the SSO, creating a distinctive personality for the brand. XXVI not only understood the challenges we were facing but they were able to deliver to our tight turnarounds.”
