Cincinnati Ballet Rebrand Takes Gold at Transform Awards

Merging the precision and wild abandon of dance, the company’s rebrand with LPK wins big.

Following the debut of its rebrand developed with LPK, the Cincinnati Ballet took home Gold at the Transform Awards North America 2018 in New York City, winning for Best Visual Identity in Travel, Leisure & Tourism. 

On the cusp of a new chapter of growth, Cincinnati Ballet teamed with LPK in 2017 on a pivotal brand refresh, designed to modernize its presence and tell its story in a more compelling manner—all while deepening engagement and expanding reach, locally and globally.

“When we began this initiative, our goal for the Cincinnati Ballet was to indelibly transform the look and feel of our brand and image to equal the watershed scaling up of our offerings,” explains Scott Altman, Cincinnati Ballet’s president and CEO. “Partnering with LPK, we worked collaboratively to tell our story, reinvent our sense of vibrancy and create an elevated brand experience.”

Brand leads from the Cincinnati Ballet and LPK pose with their first place trophy and awards judges at the Transform ceremony in NYC.

What emerged is a dynamic new identity for Cincinnati Ballet, embodying the company’s unique philosophy and driving better business outcomes. “This body of work encompasses ballet itself—its precision, its athleticism, but also the fluidity and abandon of interpretive dance,” explains Nathan Hendricks, Chief Creative Officer at LPK. “Our creative strategy was to reinterpret the identity to better capture what you see and feel when you experience Cincinnati Ballet. It’s a powerful thing deserving of an equally powerful brand.”

In addition to earning awards, the work is spurring major growth for the ballet, says Altman: “We’ve seen a historical increase in patron participation with record numbers of attendees to our Ballet, along with a deepened sense of community engagement both locally and internationally.”

Now in its fourth year, Transform Magazine’s awards program recognizes best practices in corporate, product and global brand development across the continent, focused on excellence in strategy, execution and content.