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Bard on the Beach unveiled a fresh new visual brand that is inspired by both its legendary Shakespearean roots and the way the Vancouver theatre organization is seen and valued by the community today. The comprehensive rebranding project has been made possible through an exciting new partnership between Bard and the award-winning Vancouver graphic design and branding agency, Carter Hales Design Lab.
The two companies have worked together to develop a new look that grows out of extensive research and exploration into how the 29-year-old Festival is perceived by its own fans and followers, and by the larger local community and beyond. Guided by that research and feedback, the Carter Hales team has designed a refreshed look for the summer Festival and for its year-round Educational division, including a new logo and sub-logos, new season materials, and changes to the Bard website and its social media spaces.
The core of the new design concept is a silhouette representing Bard’s iconic theatre tents, where almost 1.7 million patrons have been entertained over the past three decades. It evokes the unique Bard experience of being in a spectacular natural environment, moving easily from inside to outside spaces, mingling with fellow patrons while enjoying outstanding live theatre and special events.
Carter Hales’ Principal and Director of Design, Sean Carter, notes: “It’s been exciting to drill down into what it is about Bard that makes it beloved in this city, and how to convey that to people who haven’t yet discovered the unique Bard experience. We also wanted to create a design system to express all the ways Shakespeare’s work is interpreted and produced by Bard’s talented team. Our research and every design discovery we made led us to the tent, its iconic location and the performances inside it.”
Says Bard’s Artistic Director Christopher Gaze: “Bard has survived and thrived by knowing when to hold fast to what works, and when to change and renew to stay relevant and exciting. Our visual brand had served us well for many years, but wasn’t fully representative of what we offer today to our existing and to future patrons. I’m excited by this new design – it’s an imaginative, elegant reflection of the essence of Bard.”
The visual rebrand is visible now on Bard’s website, social media channels and on its vehicles, and will expand into its print materials and signage in the months leading up to the summer Festival’s 29th season.
Click here to see the fresh look of the Bard website, and here for a deeper dive into the story of how the new look was conceived and the ideas behind it.
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| About Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
Bard on the Beach is one of Canada’s largest not-for-profit, professional Shakespeare festivals. Established in 1990, the annual summer festival’s mission is to perform, explore and celebrate the genius of William Shakespeare, surrounded by the natural beauty of Vancouver, British Columbia. The 2018 Festival will run in Vanier Park from June 6 to September 22. Bard also offers year-round education and training programs for youth, adults and theatre professionals in its administrative home at the BMO Theatre Centre in Olympic Village as well as in schools and community facilities throughout the Lower Mainland. |
Featured image: Lindsey Angell & Nadeem Phillip, As You Like It and Moya O’Connell & Ben Carlson, Macbeth. Photos by David Cooper
