Context
The Southport Music Box Corporation (Music Box) exists to curating a diverse repertoire of films and television from around the world and connect people with shared passion in film. It is a symbol of Chicago’s go-to venue for independent, foreign, cult, and classic films. I was tasked to articulate a brand identity redesign proposal to fit its character as a Chicago historical landmark.
Challenge
How to give new life to the trademark while maintaining systemic continuity with its brand extensions?
Rebranding goals
1.
Promise an experience more than entertainment
2.
Evoke a sense of community
3.
Blend contemporary into historical past
Current Look & Branding
Currently, Music Box Corporation has a static logo series for all of its divisions, however, the brand architecture of the theatre division is different from the film division. The purpose of this rebrand is to clarify the difference of these two divisions and to propose a unique, tailored brand for Music Box Theatre.
organizational research
After reading about the history of Music Box, I organized the research into three categories: company, customer and competitions. I documented my research into outcomes such as brand matrixes, competitive audits and personas. They aided me in the creation of the rebranding and informed the rationale of my design decisions.
rapid design iterations
During the process of sketching, I switched from a more figurative approach to a more typographic approach. The name “Music Box” itself has a figurative meaning, therefore it would be misleading if I use another figurative element to represent the a different figurative element.
Mark and brand guideline
Application