Challenge

Over the past 30 years, the Huntington Theatre Company has developed into Boston’s leading theatre company. A national leader in the development of new plays, over 3.5 million patrons have seen shows at the Huntington to date, and its nationally recognized education and community programs serve over 30,000 young people and underserved audiences each year. The Huntington Theatre Company engages, inspires, entertains and challenges audiences with theatrical productions that range from the classics to new works. They train and support the next generation of theatre artists; provide arts education programs that promote life-long learning to a diverse community; and celebrate the essential power of the theatre to illuminate our common humanity.

The Huntington earned its reputation by bringing together superb local and national talent and by consistently producing a mix of exciting new works, and classics-made-current. Winning over 40 Elliot Norton awards and a Tony in the process, and sending sixteen shows to Broadway.

The Huntington Theatre Company engaged Korn Design in preparation for their 30th anniversary celebration. Using this milestone as the trigger, Korn Design launched a new identity and visual system to reflect the amazing energy and leading-edge work of the company, both on the stage and deep in the greater Boston community. Throughout the process, we had a concise set of goals:

• Tell the complete Huntington story in a clear and compelling way
• Increase awareness of all the amazing things the Huntington does beyond its productions—from the Huntington Playwriting Fellows Program and the Subsidized Student Matinee Series to the Emerging America Festival
• Develop a cohesive look, feel, and tone for the Huntington that distinguishes it from other theatres and arts organizations
• Provide a clear strategy and framework for messaging and communications
• Celebrate the past 30 years while generating excitement and momentum for the Huntington’s next 30 years (and beyond)
• Fully support their mission

Solution

The new identity aims to represent the artistic vision and leadership of Artistic Director, Peter DuBois and Managing Director, Michael Maso. The bold campaign paints Boston with a suite of vibrant colors, bold typography and simple graphic icons remaining fresh for each show of the season.

The new messaging and look were launched and featured in the Huntington’s promotional campaign for the season’s opening production, Candide, which went on to become the second highest-grossing production in the company’s history.