The Challenge
A Tony Award-winning theatre needed to reassert its presence. Signature Theatre in Arlington had spent three decades building a national reputation for innovative musical productions, especially the works of Stephen Sondheim. But post-pandemic? Their once-distinctive brand, created in the mid-2000s, had begun to blend with other professional theatres.

With new artistic director Matthew Gardiner joining veteran managing director Maggie Boland, Signature was ready for a refresh that would reflect their current identity and future ambitions.

The Twist
Typical theatre marketing gets stuck in two predictable approaches: promoting the current show or making generic promises about “the magic of live performance.”

And that’s exactly what we refused to do.

How We Unstuck ItWe threw ourselves into Signature’s most extensive audience research ever—a four-month deep dive including:
– Brand & digital ecosystem audits that revealed where their identity had faded
– Peer analysis spanning theatres across the US & London
– Workshops with staff & board that uncovered their true creative DNA
– Audience & donor research that showed us exactly what made people return performance after performance

THE &-MOMENT
What we discovered? Signature isn’t just artistically excellent—they’re audience-obsessed. They actively demolish barriers between people & performances. Their theatrical experience begins the moment you walk through the door & lingers long after the curtain call.

At Signature, the stage is never more than 10 rows away (about 45 feet) from your seat. Audiences don’t just watch a performance… they’re immersed in it, feeling the energy and seeing every subtle expression.

Research also revealed Signature was unusually “audience obsessed.” While holding themselves to the highest artistic standards, they strived to make theatregoing feel easy & inclusive.

This combination of physical proximity & audience-centered approach became the foundation for everything we created.

THE SOLUTION
We built an identity as bold & boundary-breaking as Signature itself:
– A logo that merges “Signature” & “Theatre” at the common center letter “A”—symbolizing the unity between performers & audience
– Vibrant, saturated colors that mirror the spectrum of Signature’s productions
– Custom letterforms that can’t be found anywhere else (because originality deserves originality)
– Street-style textures reminiscent of wheat-pasted show bills—a reminder that great theatre should feel accessible, not pretentious
– A responsive design system that maintains visual integrity across all touchpoints—from digital platforms to environmental graphics

The identity system flexes to accommodate both classic productions & avant-garde performances, giving Signature a visual language as versatile as their repertoire. Production-specific imagery now integrates seamlessly with the enterprise brand, creating a cohesive ecosystem where individual shows strengthen—not compete with—the theatre’s identity.

We created their inaugural print collateral suite, including the season announcement materials, fundraising campaign for donors, and their redesigned playbill—each piece reinforcing the proximity concept through thoughtful typography, layout, and visual hierarchy.

And we wrapped it all with a tagline that’s both confident & substantiated: “The best place to experience musicals in America. By any measure.”

The Applause
The new brand launched with the 2024-2025 season announcement to overwhelmingly positive reception. Audience feedback was enthusiastic, digital engagement metrics increased by 38% in the first month, and season ticket renewals reached their highest point since pre-pandemic levels.

The design system proved extraordinarily versatile, adapting seamlessly across all touchpoints—from environmental graphics to digital platforms. Staff & board members quickly embraced the new identity as an authentic expression of their mission.

As Jennifer Buzzell, Signature Theatre’s director of marketing put it: “Yes& took the time to get to know us and really understand Signature’s vibe and ethos from all perspectives – audience, staff, artists, and community. It was through this detailed work that they absolutely nailed who Signature is, and importantly what Signature strives to be.”

Design Impact
Beyond metrics, this rebrand represents a significant evolution in performing arts branding. By rejecting conventional theatre marketing approaches & focusing on Signature’s unique spatial experience, we’ve created an identity system that:
1. Communicates spatial intimacy through visual language
2. Transcends production-specific marketing to build long-term brand equity
3. Balances artistic sophistication with accessibility
4. Creates a cohesive system adaptable to diverse productions

At Signature Theatre, proximity isn’t just about seating—it’s about connection. And now their brand makes that impossible to ignore.