Bruce Mau Design For The National Ballet of Canada
Toronto-based studio Bruce Mau Design (BMD) has crafted new visual identity and expression for The National Ballet of Canada, marking the nearly 75-year-old institution’s first rebrand in almost two decades. Seeking to merge classical and modern/future-embracing aesthetics, The National Ballet of Canada sought its hometown studio’s creative and technical talents to develop a brand identity that would herald a more creative, inclusive and bolder organization. “We were tasked to create something that would invite more people in,” BMD Chief Creative Officer Laura Stein recalls. “We created a new wordmark that acts as an invitational narrative.”
The wordmark, in fact, serves as a foundational piece of BMD’s new visual redesign. “The logo is a wordmark that is also the beginning of a narrative,” Stein explains. “So type needs to flow seamlessly from the logo. We worked with Displaay Type Foundry to develop a glyph that would allow designers to type in the logo with a keystroke and simply continue typing to write the narratives. The tool allows anyone to easily use the logo and write a narrative without fussing with alignment, scale, leading, ensuring that it looks good every time.”
In turn, BMD has transformed the full wordmark into lowercase using a robust typeface that feels more open and welcoming. The studio also moved away from the brand’s older dark pink and what might be considered gendered palette to a very vibrant set of jewel tones. In addition, BMD’s efforts for The National Ballet of Canada include creating art direction for photography, layout principles, motion behaviors, identity and motion assets and guidelines for how to use them. Perhaps most significant, however, is that the designers had to develop key messages to convey its Storyteller concept and draw audiences in. “Our Storyteller concept helps address ‘the uncertainty gap’ — where people are less likely to engage in something if they don’t understand it,” Stein notes. “The wordmark’s narrative can tease some of the story so that people who know nothing about a ballet such as Onegin, understand that it deals with exciting and dramatic themes such as love and betrayal.” As a result, BMD has brought to fruition a rebrand that not only respects tradition while shaking off the elitist, highbrow image often associated with ballet, but has helped the client evolve into an organization that reflects the future, one that is more flexible and welcoming.
The National Ballet of Canada Artistic Director Hope Muir notes, “This new brand draws you into the stories we share. The visual identity is bold, personal and inclusive, with creative taglines that spark the imagination and invite conversation. It isn’t just a logo, it’s a philosophy that has to represent our company and culture, our value system and how we want to move forward as an organization. The Storyteller reflects the values and energy of the National Ballet today and asserts our commitment to an innovative and accessible future. We are thrilled to present ballet in this new light.”
