Cincinnati Ballet

Brand Strategy, Campaign Development, Visual Identity

A Brand In Motion

Ballet is one of the most expressive art forms in the world—but most ballet companies feel emotionally flat, visually outdated, and out of step with modern culture. Cincinnati Ballet was no exception. The company had a stellar reputation, a new $30M facility, and thoughtful programming—but a brand identity that didn’t reflect any of it.

We’re living in a loneliness epidemic. People crave connection, immersion, and beauty. Ballet already delivers those things—it just hasn’t been positioned that way. The opportunity wasn’t to change the art form, but to reframe it: from something traditional and elite into something emotional, visceral, and culturally resonant.

Photography from: Cincinnati Ballet, Aaron Conway, GBBN Architecture, Sandy Underwood, Vanity Fair

A Brand Idea That Moves

Élever l’émotion—to elevate emotion. Borrowed from ballet vocabulary, this became the brand’s core idea. It honors the form’s tradition while giving the organization permission to be bold, expressive, and modern. It’s a call to raise the emotional stakes, to push further visually and experientially, and to meet audiences where they are.

A System Built on Movement

The visual identity reflects the grace and power of dance. A custom typographic system, emotionally driven color palettes, and a layout grid inspired by dynamic symmetry come together to form a flexible, expressive brand world. Found imagery was reworked with motion distortion techniques to create energy and abstraction—capturing the feeling of ballet, not just the look.

Big Ideas, Bold Moves

The brand strategy came to life through a series of culturally driven activation concepts—TikTok choreography challenges, open rehearsals, immersive stage design, and surprise performances in iconic public spaces. But the most exciting idea imagined Cincinnati Ballet as a fashion collaborator.

The concept: a partnership with Aimé Leon Dore to create a limited-edition collection celebrating the culture of Cincinnati. Merging the city’s creative legacy with the aesthetic precision of ballet, the line elevates local icons—Skyline Chili, Formica, King Records, and the Cincinnati Reds—through a design lens rooted in elegance, movement, and emotional storytelling.