The Lancaster Opera has been around for over 50 years. Still, it remains largely unknown, especially among younger generations. A new marketing campaign is needed to raise awareness and to attract a new audience and yet be attainable with the available resources.

 

What we did:

 

Collateral design for current season, developed an event concept "Opera Tasting" to attract a new, younger audience, developed comps for an awareness campaign.

The Opera Tasting concept takes a cue from beer or wine tastings. It provides the curious with an opportunity to 'sample' opera music. In a one hour informal gathering that can easily be combined with an actual wine tasting attendees will be provided with some information about opera music in general, as well as with details about a performance of the current season. This will be augmented by individual songs or arias being performed on location. This provides a low-barrier opportunity to introduce newcomers to this art form and will increase visibility in the market.

To reposition the opera in the local market and raise awareness of it's existence among a new audience a concept for a guerilla poster sticker campaign was developed that was true to the opera, yet lightheartedly  played with some of the stereotypes typically associated withi it (such as operas being sung in foreing languages).  

For the 2012/2013 season a series of artwork for various collateral pieces was designed. Previously each play had a unique look, but lacked any kind of visual consistency, thus any brand recognition was lost. A new visual language was needed, that was recognizable and would stand apart from the crowd of busy, dark  and abstract artwork.