Creative Director ⚡️Crafting highly differentiating brand identity programs and strategic rebrand campaigns that turn heads, touch hearts, and boost sales. yurikacreative.com
Pacific Northwest Ballet has been one of the definitive Seattle cultural staples since 1972. I'd been privileged to work on the rebrand of PNB in the distant 2010, just a few years after Peter Boal became their executive artistic director. Having an acronym type of a name was not without its challenges. Being reduced to 3 letters the name lacked visual drama associated with such magnificent art form as modern ballet. To combat this deficiency I went for a boiled-down and bold approach. First, I added a dimension to the logotype, thus turning the name into an abstract platform, a springboard for dancers to take flight. Then I elevated the letter "B" to accentuate the "ballet" portion of the name. Also, I felt this rebrand warranted a special photographic vibe. To test proof the new ID I created a dynamic poster series featuring a single dancer as a hero. But instead of portraying the dancers as nearly divine beings, I've chosen to depict them in a more modernist and unblemished fashion. These posters were meant to celebrate the human body in motion and the exciting energy it created while moving through time and space. The clients acknowledged the new visual language, but in the end, they went with a different design direction. Still, to this day these series are my favorites. The moral of this story is this. We can't always expect to win our client's hearts and minds. But we should always try our best to achieve this goal. As long as we truly believe we delivered the worthy solutions, we shouldn't feel defeated. We get to experience the joy of being immersed in the process while occasionally reaching that rare flow state. And if that's not enough for one to feel victorious, there's more. Not only do these moments bring us short-term satisfaction, but they also give us the fuel to move forward so we can win the new day. #throwbackthursday #brandrelevance #differentiation #rebranding #logodesign #posterinspirations #ballet #yurikacreative
Beautiful 🤩 love the movement 🙌
Wonderful design and story - thanks for sharing this experience 👏
I love your willingness to share stuff that didn't make the cut (so to speak), Yuri Shvets. This post is a great example of "feedback, not failure" in action.
Yuri, I am grateful you’ve posted this story. The longer you work in the visual field, the more good work fails to make the client’s final cut. And often, our best designs are never seen unless we do what you just did—resurrect them. I keep concept books on hand. They serve as a home where I honor my rejected ideas. Today, you gave these lovely iterations a new life with an audience who admires your beautiful work and introspective thinking. Thank you for sharing with us! 🦋
Fantastic! Can't wait to see the fruits of our work together!
I love ballet. I've been fascinated by PNB. And I love the elegant simplicity. They missed an opportunity.
It's an amazing journey, Yuri! Your rebranding approach for PNB was truly captivating. The abstract platform and emphasized 'B' beautifully conveyed the essence of modern ballet. Although the clients took a different direction, your dynamic poster series celebrating the human body in motion was truly inspiring.
Brand consultant | Strategic advisor | Brand & Marketing Design Judge: pac-awards.com | Writer | Art & Design | Advertising | Creative Director
3moI once told someone that logos are nicely wrapped novelty packages or something along that line... perhaps pieces of chocolate of appreciation. These posters are like collectible stamps, a lovely approach to expressing movement through the dancers, leveraging them as iconic brand pieces. I think the treatment of the acronym had the correct intention but perhaps it was not the best execution of the idea. When I think of ballet, I believe a more delicate approach would have been great while still achieving th boldness intended. Removing the poster, the acronym on its own does not convey the same thinking. I believe the answer to all this exists in what you did with the dancers. However, a general overview of the posters I think achieved the intended function of all elements. And of course, all things said here are my opinions. My observations.