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The Oregon Symphony approached us to build a campaign that would create awareness and intrigue around their incoming music director, David Danzmayr, and foster excitement for the upcoming season amongst local art enthusiasts.

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For a symphony, the turnover of a music director is a significant one, and it usually only happens every 10 to 25 years. This change brings with it a new energy and a fresh artistic vision. Austrian-born conductor, David Danzmayr, is widely regarded as one of the most talented and dynamic conductors of his generation. He brings a relatability, a refreshingly positive energy, and a new perspective to the arts in Portland.

Their core mission of “moving music forward” is expressed through adventurous programming, inspiring collaborations. and educational community programming.

The people that we aimed to reach with the campaign were those who hadn’t yet gone to the symphony, but who were already engaging with other forms of art in the city. It became clear that there is an underlying perception—for many who are new to the art form—that the symphony is inaccessible, expensive, and stuffy. It was our job to shift that perspective.

An additional consideration was in communicating an "unfamiliar" last name like Danzmayr. While it carries a lot of weight for frequent patrons of the symphony, the majority of the community would likely not have a connection to this word or know that it is even a name at first glance.

Leaning into the uniqueness of David's name, we championed "Danzmayr" as the main headline and treated it as a term to define an experience at the Oregon Symphony.

We needed to build a design language that could help frame the Oregon Symphony—particularly under the new direction of Danzmayr—as approachable, casual, and open to everyone. At the same time, the visuals and messaging needed to be flexible for the various locations and quickly digestible to people passing by.

Our goal was to create a campaign that immediately catches the eye and piques the interest of any art enthusiast, drawing them in prompting them to want to learn more. We wanted to reflect David’s energy through a campaign that is bold, accessible, and a touch unexpected for the symphony.

We feel strongly that the arts are an integral part of any city, and we are grateful to have partnered with the Oregon Symphony on this campaign to open the experience of this world class orchestra to a wider audience.

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