BBC Philharmonic.

Since 2016, we have been working with the BBC Philharmonic to modernise classical music for audiences everywhere. For our sixth campaign – marking both the BBC Philharmonic and BBC’s centenary – they faced a specific challenge: as their core audience grew older, they saw a chance to reach new, younger people who thought classical music was dull or not for them. The challenge was to do this without alienating anyone, while increasing ticket sales.

Our key insight was simple but powerful: there’s nothing quite like seeing the BBC Philharmonic play in-person. So we advised shifting the brand’s emphasis from ‘classical’ to ‘live’ – a change that instantly appealed to younger people without losing the essence of what makes the orchestra special.

This translated into a fluid and flexible visual identity that communicated the movement and impact of a live orchestral experience. Challenging preconceptions about what an orchestra is and who it’s for, we deliberately moved away from traditional depictions of orchestral musicians and instruments. Instead, we worked with Sophie Douala to create illustrations using abstract geometric patterns and shapes to showcase the orchestra in a new light.

We tested advert variations across platforms to identify which messages and keywords drove ticket sales most effectively. The result: the number of people attending BBC Philharmonic live concerts has steadily increased since 2016, successfully attracting younger audiences while maintaining their loyal base.