Studio Tenn
Season Branding and Design
A vibrant celebration of 15 seasons of live theater
Studio Tenn Theatre Company is a professional regional theatre company based in Middle Tennessee. They are repeatedly recognized by the Nashville Scene as the best theatre company in the city. For the past 4 years we have been working closely with them to develop their season artwork and ongoing marketing efforts. As we approched the 2024-2025 season, we had one major challenge. How do you encapsulate a vibrant celebration of 15 seasons of live theater combined with a season packed with humor, drama, rock n’ roll, and campy horror? Our approach took us on a nostalgic journey designed to transport audiences back to the captivating eras each show embodies, making every performance an unforgettable experience.
Teaser Images
We crafted a series of captivating graphics that built anticipation for the season reveal event. These visuals sparked lively conversations online, inviting the audience to join in the excitement and share their thoughts about the upcoming shows.
Season Reveal Graphics
Our reveal strategy utilized rich visuals tied to the “decades” theme, featuring elements like records and VHS tapes. This series of graphics not only unveiled the season lineup but also connected audiences to the iconic aesthetics of each era.
Show Art Reveal Graphics
The initial glimpses of the artwork blended the season branding with vintage album cover designs and notes reminiscent of the VHS and cassette era. This nostalgic touch ensured that audiences felt a deep connection to the shows and their histories.
season pitch
The Season Pitch
Creating the 2024-2025 season began with the milestone of the 15th Season, providing a foundation for our creative exploration. We developed three distinct pitches for the client’s review, accompanied by visual language boards that showcased our design vision. After in-depth research on each show, we embraced the idea of drawing inspiration from the iconic art styles of their respective decades—the roaring 20s for “The Play That Goes Wrong,” the vibrant 50s for “Million Dollar Quartet Christmas,” the classic 60s for “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Jersey Boys,” and the expressive 70s for “Crimes of the Heart.” This fusion of anniversary celebration and decade-themed artistry became the cornerstone for all logos, artwork, and materials crafted for the season.
To commemorate Studio Tenn’s 15th Season, we designed a unique logo and cohesive brand style complemented by supportive graphics for the 2024-2025 season. In alignment with the “decades” theme, we created a dynamic word cloud highlighting key milestones, memorable shows, and fun statistics from Studio Tenn’s rich history.
Visual Inspiration
As we laid the groundwork for the season’s visuals, we immersed ourselves in the charm of vintage album covers, VHS tapes, and iconic movie posters. Our exploration focused on understanding the distinct styles and visual cues that defined each decade, ensuring our artwork captured the essence of the time while employing retro elements to narrate the stories behind the performances.
To generate excitement leading up to the season reveal, we designed numerous teaser graphics that captured the overarching theme. The final promotional image features characters from each show, poised to step through time and into their respective decades, inviting audiences to experience the nostalgia firsthand.
The final show artwork combines hand-drawn illustrations, client-submitted photos, and composited imagery, meticulously crafted with textures and color palettes that evoke the spirit of each era. The result is a stunning collection of art pieces that not only represent the season's theme but also celebrate the unique decades in which each show unfolds.
A look at our illustrating and compositing process
Designing the wordmarks for each show was a critical element of our creative process. Our goal was to select fonts and styles that authentically reflected the character of their respective eras. We explored various concepts for each show, ensuring a wide array of ideas was considered before finalizing the strongest designs. The selected wordmarks were then enhanced with colors and textures that harmonized with both the artwork and the distinct flavors of each decade.
We produced a diverse array of promotional materials—including digital ads, posters, brochures, and web graphics—to effectively market the season. Each piece skillfully combined the artwork with thematic brand elements, colors, textures, and typography. Ultimately, our collaborative efforts resulted in the creation of hundreds of engaging ads and promotional graphics celebrating Studio Tenn’s 15th Season of Live Theater.