Case Study: The Cleveland Orchestra achieves a refreshed, flexible brand identity with Pentagram

The Cleveland Orchestra unifies 100+ sub-brands with Pentagram

The Cleveland Orchestra, one of America's premier symphony orchestras, sought to reinforce its prestigious position while becoming more accessible to new audiences. Their challenge was to create a cohesive branding system that could function harmoniously across a wide array of venues, programs, and digital platforms. They engaged the design firm Pentagram to develop a refreshed brand identity.

Pentagram's solution was a versatile typographic identity system centered on a custom wordmark and the dramatic GT Ultra typeface. This system allows the visual language to modulate from quiet to loud, using serif fonts for classical performances and sans serifs for community events. The new branding successfully reflects the Orchestra's dignified personality while providing the flexibility for fresh seasonal campaigns, making the institution more open and approachable.

The Cleveland Orchestra