Theartre
Off Kilter, Florida, USA
Brand Strategy, Brand Identity and Website
Carefully organised chaos
Getting to the heart of the issue
It's always a welcome surprise when someone from a different continent seeks us out!
And this time it was seasoned actor Derek Baxter who connected with us over Zoom from Florida. During our chat, he expressed his frustration with the lack of theatre companies in his area that were willing to explore bold and experimental productions.
He’d finally decided to take matters into his own hands, gather some industry contacts, and create a new theatre company called Off Kilter that would challenge and inspire local audiences. But to make his vision a reality, he needed the tools and strategies to bring his brand and vision to life. That's where we came in!
Together, we found a distinct brand position:
Theatre of the bold.
The strategy
The theatre scene in Florida is well-established and audiences are in quite a safe, comfortable place.
Our research showed that these theatre companies already had a distinct, artsy look to their marketing (even if their shows were fairly mainstream). To set Off Kilter apart and attract the right crowd, we needed to create a brand that properly communicated what the company was all about and highlighted its experimental side.
We worked closely with Derek to develop a brand strategy that embraced the striking, the confrontational, and the slightly weird. The initial ideas and mood boards we presented resonated extremely well with the market research group.
The design
We dialled everything up to 100, while keeping strict guidelines to make sure the brand would stay consistent over time.
The final brand identity for Off Kilter is punctuated by aggressively saturated colours (with softer alternatives for print). Big, striking questions and statements on posters and social media campaigns immediately grab attention and get people thinking.
The brand imagery is not afraid to make some people uncomfortable or push them away (as those people wouldn't enjoy the productions by Off Kilter anyway). We found that those who were searching for more unusual theatre experiences were immediately drawn in and convinced by this daring look and voice.
To further emphasise the 'off kilter' nature of the brand, both the logo and other brand elements (such as poster layouts) have a 10° tilt applied. This feature not only gives the brand a memorable and repeatable feature, but also makes it stand out from marketing used by other theatre companies. To balance out the tilt, vertical lines are cut into the logo and elements on posters to provide a visual 'anchor'.
"This was a great experience from moment one! We targeted the brand and worked together for a masterful final product. They understand where I am coming from and truly support my business and vision. The process is so smooth and easy, I highly recommend, and I'm excited to continue my relationship with them in the future."
Off Kilter, Florida, USA
