Proposals for the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal's (OSM) Annual Summer Night's Ball 2023 visual identity. The Summer Ball is an annual benefit event for the next generation of philanthropists, dedicated to supporting the essential mission of the OSM, promoting the music and musical excellence of the orchestra, as well as the democratization of classical music, and education among younger generations.
The event theme was "A Midsummer Night's Dream", revolving around enchanted magical summer nights, mystery, imagination, dreams and and an enchanted forest atmosphere.
Proposal 1: Inspired by classic fairy tale book layouts and illuminated manuscripts, this concept is an illustrative track with a modern twist: mixing intricate, custom hand-drawn illustration with bold typography and layering of goldfoil over black and white, the proposed look & feel is an elevated yet bold typographic approach.
Proposal 2: This track takes a modern abstraction approach, evoking a mood and the tactile sensations of being immersed in a forest, rather than a literal interpretation. The circles represent the recurring moon theme from "A Midsummer's Night Dream", and the surrounding planes of textures, colours and atmospheric planes represent the feeling of walking on moss, being surrounded by nature and the mystical. The identity system is adaptable to digital projections and applications, allowing for a flexible interchange of imagery, textures and typography.
Proposal 3: This track is a classical, custom-illustration approach evoking a beautiful, magical summer night filled with mystery, beauty and effervescent possibilities. A dream-like aesthetic where typography, messaging and imagery are at once hidden and revealed, it plays with layering, texture and light to create a sense of magic and mystery.
Proposal 4: This approach uses a minimalist layout, reducing the layout to 3 elements to convey 3 key themes of the evening: mystery, fantasy, and mirage. Mixing a modern Japanese aesthetic in the fantastical-creature illustrations and minimal use of visual elements, this track aimed to disrupt the usual graphic codes we expect in a fundraising ball - while staying true to the narrative essence of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" masterpiece.
