Case Study: The Harry Ransom Center boosts attendance records with Pentagram’s exhibition brand identity

Harry Ransom Center breaks attendance records with Pentagram

The Harry Ransom Center, a humanities research library and museum at The University of Texas at Austin, was tasked with creating a major exhibition for the recently donated personal collection of Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels. The challenge was to develop a compelling brand identity and visitor experience that captured the energy and cultural significance of SNL. They engaged their existing vendor, Pentagram, to handle the exhibition's design and branding.

Pentagram developed a comprehensive brand identity inspired by a vintage, faux-neon SNL logo found in the archives. The solution included a custom typeface, a neon-inspired color palette, and graphics that were applied to digital promotions, print collateral, and the gallery space itself. The Pentagram team also collaborated on the exhibition's layout and visual storytelling. The resulting exhibition, "Live from New York: The Lorne Michaels Collection," broke all attendance records for the 50-year-old Harry Ransom Center, demonstrating its immense success.

Harry Ransom Center