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1.- What is your organization or company? Give background history including who, when, and why it was founded.

The Shakespeare Tavern was founded in 1984 with a production of “As You Like It” at Manuel’s Tavern, a well-known pub in Atlanta. From there the organization got national attention and grew into the popular venue it is today.

2.- What do they do or make – describe the products and services and what makes them unique.

They describe themselves as “a bright and talented group of professionals who interpret, direct, produce and perform the works of William Shakespeare.” Identifying as an Original Practice Playhouse, they offer a unique theatre/pub combo and a variety of new takes on Shakespeare and Shakespeare-related plays.

3.- Describe the culture of the organization or company. What is the work environment like – the atmosphere? What is the building like – exterior/ interior, architecture, fittings, and furniture? How do the employees work together? What are the jobs and roles of individual? How are they treated by management?

The front of the building is designed to look like the original Globe, like so:

Patrons can order drinks and food before the show and at intermission. It is restaurant-style seating with a buffet line in the back of the theater. The stage is stationary, also modeled after the Globe:

The organization depends very heavily on volunteers, especially during performances. In addition to ushering, volunteers help sell the food and souvenirs. There is a core management group as well as the acting company. The acting company is usually runs the education programs with supervision from the management. It is a very close-knit working environment and the theatre is known for re-casting a lot of the same people every season.

4.- Who is the targeted audience? What are their demographics?

The Shakespeare Tavern has a surprisingly unclear target audience. Because of their education programs and a strong subscriber program, a lot of their audience consists of families and older couples. But being located downtown, they also work hard on the student and 20-something audience. Their marketing tends to be consistent but general, playing on the universality of Shakespeare.

5.- What is the organization or company mission statement?

Their full mission statement is posted on their website:

“The Atlanta Shakespeare Company is a quest for a living theater, a theater whose “raison d’être” is the communion of actor, audience, and playwright. To foster that communion, ASC has built the only Original Practice Playhouse®, The New American Shakespeare Tavern®, at 499 Peachtree Street in Atlanta, GA. Using this space as a laboratory for the exploration of Elizabethan stagecraft and theatrical techniques, all of our work is guided by a single clarion principle that ASC reveres above all others: the voice of the playwright. This is true whether the company is presenting an original piece, an American classic, or a timeless masterpiece by William Shakespeare. In all cases, each production is a process that begins with the way each play was originally staged in its own time and ends with a modern audience experiencing the play in a manner consistent with its creator’s original intent.

Thus, when presenting plays by Shakespeare, ASC productions feature hand-made period costumes, all live music and sound effects, thrilling sword fights, and abundant “direct address” to the audience, all of which is orchestrated to assure that the passion and poetry of Shakespeare’s genius remains at the heart of the theatrical experience. This is unlike “modern” approaches that routinely update, alter, deconstruct, or otherwise adapt the plays in the supposed service of a 20th Century sensibility.

This Core Aesthetic, known as Original Practice, informs and inspires all of our work.”

See www.shakespearetavern.com for more information.

Logo 1: Atlanta Shakespeare Tavern

To begin, I’d like to talk about a logo from my hometown- Atlanta. This is for the Shakespeare Tavern- a unique theatre company residing in the middle of downtown with a facade designed after the original Globe that offers dinner, drinks, and plays by or about Shakespeare. Their logo is actually quite ornate and I would like to break it down into two parts, the caricature and the text.

The caricature of William is very interesting. It’s made to look hand-drawn, adding a historical feel. He is notably wearing an Atlanta Braves baseball cap (that signature A can be recognized a mile away) and holding a pint of beer. The team gear adds a subtle local feel to the design, instantly making the theater more approachable and relevant to the community. The pint of beer emphasized the tavern part of the operation and gets the audience excited for drinks and bar food. While a bit busy, these details really make this a very impressive design.

The organization’s name appears in both its forms (Atlanta Shakespeare Company and the New American Shakespeare Tavern) and in two places (around the caricature and next to it). It blends in perfectly with the picture and uses a simple font. The separate text is actually very interesting. I’ve never quite understood why they elongated the “V”, though I am sure there is a reason for it. The font definitely invokes a Shakespearean feel of old-fashioned books and sword fights. The red/burgundy color is signature to the organization and appears throughout their marketing materials.

Logo 2: New York Public Library

My next logo is a classic- the New York Public Library. The lion of course invokes the famous stone lions perched outside the building. The evolution of the lion is actually chronicled in a youtube video:

As explained in the video, the new design was intentionally made to be future-forward and to be inclusive of digital scholarship. These goals are accomplished with the simple lines and black and white color scheme. Additionally, the text has been updated as well to a rounder and cleaner font. This is an excellent example of a rebranding that remained true of the organization but updated the message and helped work towards sustainability.

Logo 3: Playbill

This final logo is iconic- Playbill. On top of every program for every Broadway show and even some tours sits the famous yellow box with these bold, pointed letters. The company has become so recognizable, that often people simply refer to the programs as the playbills. This is a very old logo that has been the same since before I was born. Similar to the Nike swoosh or the Mac apple, it’s timeless and hard to imagine anything different. Recently, they issued limited edition programs with a pride background to celebrate the supreme court decision:

Notice that the colors still remained rather flat and the font is identical. Having such a strong and consistent brand is very impressive, and I felt it was important to include such an example. This design builds its success on the rich history of Broadway and New York theatre, all of which immediately come to mind. The font is clean and unique. Set against the bright yellow background, it stands out and has become instantly recognizable. This font is great for any theatre-related project as a result and has transcended Playbill itself.

1.- improve my skills with a variety of design programs on the computer.

2.- explore the wide range of theory behind marketing and branding, particularly what constitutes a successful brand.

3.- consider what is unique and what is the same about branding an arts organization compared to other industries.

4.- gain a better perspective on how branding impacts the success of an organization.

5.- understand the role of social media in marketing and how to maximize those resources.

6.- how to keep all marketing materials tech-friendly and easily distributable. (what file types to use, how to efficiently condense project files, etc.)

7.- investigate the re-branding process and how to know when an organization needs to make that investment.