Evolution Bureau announced the launch of a year-long campaign for Smuin Ballet, a progressive ballet company based in San Francisco. To generate interest in Smuin Ballet around its 15th anniversary season, EVB created a fresh image for the ballet company representing its unique performance approach that merges classical ballet with contemporary dance. Leveraging iconic imagery and artistic elements, EVB developed an innovative out-of-home and print advertising campaign titled, "Ballet But...," to introduce the perception that Smuin is ballet, but so much more...
"We believe ballet should be a living dance form that continues to engage and delight modern audiences by blending a spectrum of eclectic dance and music genres," said Celia Fushille, director for Smuin Ballet. "Through this campaign, we're able to tell our unique story illustrated by our dancers, reconnect with fans and excite new audiences."
Paying tribute to the late Michael Smuin's philosophy, "Ballet But..." reinforces Smuin's accessible nature and widespread appeal. EVB partnered with Scott Harben of SEE Pictures to photograph Smuin's dancers and then mashed-up contrasting images that together represent the ballet company's integrated, contemporary approach to dance. As a result, six photographic mash-ups titled - Entertaining, Sexy, Bold, Broadway, Spicy, and Different - were developed into posters and print ads, which will be rolled out in the Bay Area and Monterey Peninsula.
"It was rewarding to work with EVB's team and bring their creative ideas to life," said Scott Harben, photographer and retoucher. "We were able to illustrate the unique personality and passion of Smuin Ballet through artistic photography and design."
The campaign's out-of-home program will include wild postings and mass transit advertising. Wild postings will be released in forty high-traffic urban locations. More than 55 Bay Area bus shelters will feature large posters, and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stations and trains will host over 160 transit posters. In addition, print advertisements will run in newspapers including the San Jose Mercury News, Contra Costa Times, Carmel Pine Cone and Monterey Herald.
"We enjoyed the opportunity to rebrand such a reputable ballet company and work with their dancers to discover and capture Smuin's essence as illuminated by their dancers through imagery," said Stephen Goldblatt, executive creative director of EVB. "We're big proponents of the local arts, so it meant a lot to help Smuin Ballet stand out among the Bay Area's sea of entertainment options."
The campaign will kick-off this month by debuting the "Sexy" and "Entertaining" photo mash-ups, followed by new mash-up introductions throughout the year.