Juniper Park\TBWA Develops New Brand Identity for Toronto Symphony Orchestra's 'Evening Epic'

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) has selected Juniper Park\TBWA as its design agency to create the branding and communication of its new annual fundraising event: Evening Epic.

Juniper Park\TBWA was selected through an RFP process late 2018, among several branding agencies.

Evening Epic will be held on April 4th at the Carlu in Toronto, with an objective to raise funds for the TSO’s music education programs, which reach 40,000 young people each year.

Taking inspiration from the core of the symphony, Evening Epic’s visual language is based on the musical staff found in sheet music. The five lines of the staff are used to create the elegant stacked ‘E’ monogram, tying the identity directly to the purpose of the institution. The Evening Epic identity also uses the staff in all directions to create patterns, becoming a graphic system that disrupts the traditional notion of the rigidity of classical sheet music. Throughout the evening, the lines of the staff will come to life in animation, visually symbolising the richness of the musical journey.

Beyond the brand identity, the campaign materials include social videos, invitation, website and event collateral.

Nathalie Cusson, Juniper Park\TBWA’s creative director of design, says of the Evening Epic’s branding: “Using the musical staff allowed us to create a rhythmic, graphic language that can be twisted, superimposed, deconstructed and combined with the bright, unexpected, electric Klein blue. Ultimately, our goal was to juxtapose the classic and the new, and create a design language that is completely ownable, recognising the inaugural event as a celebration of Canadian musicianship and artistry.”

The Evening Epic event, organised for the TSO by Candice&Alison Events Group, is a musical exploration journey, starting with its Patrons’ Dinner, and culminating with an epic party. Performances and experiences will take place throughout the night, including performances by the TSO’s musicians, a headline appearance by 2018 Polaris Music Prize winner and JUNO-nominated musician Jeremy Dutcher, and more.

The event website can be found here.