Founded in Berlin in 1882, the Berliner Philharmoniker are arguably one of the most renowned orchestras in the world, distinguished amongst peers for its virtuosity and compelling sound – always pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. They are recognised by the intensity of their performances, matched only by their technical agility.
Today, the Berliner Philharmoniker brand represents a cultural powerhouse, including their own music platform, The Digital Concert Hall, and the prestigious Karajan Academy for emerging talents.
In a close collaboration with the in-house brand team, we’ve created a new contemporary brand identity that captures the emotions the orchestra evokes in people – through music that has the power to transform and to open new perspectives.
The new identity is based on some of the brand’s most recognisable elements from the past (the iconic symbol and the colour yellow), but has been expanded to create a consistent, highly expressive design language across all parts of the brand.
Our starting point for the new identity was the Pentagon shape, a visual representation of the Grand Hall of the iconic modernist Philharmonie building. The Pentagon sits at the heart of most of the brand’s assets, from the symbol to the bespoke typeface to patterns and illustrations.
Another key element of the brand are the three Pentagon layers from the symbol. These layers have been translated into dynamic layouts, animations and UI behaviours, representing the movement of sound and multiple perspectives.
Creative Direction and Design: Oliver Helfrich
Strategic Direction: Cecilia Martin
Graphic Design: Yun Yu, Rosanna Tuvhag
Motion Design: Jonathan Nielsen, Richard Coldicott
Production and roll-out (on-going): Stan Hema Berlin
