Parkinsound is a classical orchestra where all the musicians have been diagnosed with Parkinson Disease.

This idea came about when Margarida – a neurologist, specialist in Parkinson’s disease –was singing at a community orchestra. She thought that a special orchestra where her patients could play, might help them recover – both their spirits and their mobility.

Taking part in an orchestra would be a stimulating cognitive challenge for her patients. It involves playing an instrument, following instructions, being attentive… something really hard for someone affected by Parkinson. Still, it was worth believing in and risking.

Margarida found a partner in Pedro, the conductor of the community orchestra. Together they created Parkinsound.

The first rehearsals seemed chaotic. But little by little, they began to realize that this was chaos preceding harmony. This concert was a unique opportunity for them to prove to themselves and their families that they still had value.

The first concert was a historic moment. The audience was on their feet clapping. It was widely covered in the press. It was confirmation that Parkinson’s patients could be musicians in an orchestra. The disease inhibited mobility, not art or hope.

Parkinsound’s concert success opened many doors. New concerts were planned.

It was time to create a brand identity.

With its rapid growth and with new sponsors on the horizon, the orchestra needed a brand identity that would allow it to professionalize itself – awareness, brand system, volunteers, partners – to better serve its musicians and the scientific community.

Wonder\Why branding agency thought that Parkinsound’s logo, the brand’s DNA, needed a powerful symbol. An icon that could establish a connection between the orchestra and the disease.

The agency created a new symbol representing the fusion between the troubling hand tremor and the artistic movement of a conductor’s hands. It reveals the orchestra’s ability to transform the tremor of the disease into music and hope. The lower part of the symbol shows a shaking hand. The upper part shows a hand conducting an orchestra. Two very different hands linked by a common purpose.