During the image concepting phase, I liaised with the play’s director (Kip Williams, also the STC Artistic Director) and was encouraged to pursue a graphic representation of the production that would bring this beloved classic into a modern light. We wanted to appeal to a far younger audience than STC usually attracts. A modern, edgy and bold production needed a marketing image that communicated just that. 

I proposed an off-brand, ‘in your face’ approach that didn’t shy away from the gore and violence depicted in the production.  I concepted an image that didn’t rely on our traditional avenues of stills photography and star power, but, rather, illustration, graffiti and typography to appeal to the youth segments we were targeting. 

I wanted to create a mini brand identity for this production that would give it a platform and point of difference from the traditional STC look and feel, and ultimately fulfill the marketing goal of attracting a higher youth demographic to the venue–– and, in fact, Sydney Theatre Company itself.
I commissioned an illustrator to create a graphic representation of the severed pig’s head that featured in the play, and accompanied it with elements of grunge texture and free form graffiti-style typography, that proved to have significant cut through in the marketplace.

Concepting phase

Hero marketing image

Outdoor

The campaign launched with a teaser push. Bright red street posters were plastered across Sydney, featuring the simple pig’s head graphic and accompanying teaser tagline. This was followed up a week later with more posters comprising informative and branded artwork, as well as a call to action…

Online

A digital- first strategy via Instagram stories and Facebook saw us draw in younger audiences, as we introduced them to a unique ‘missing persons’ scenario where they could swipe or click to find out more about characters and cast members, thus enhancing their engagement with the play and STC as a whole.

Engagement levels were high and frequent, and we continued to communicate with our audience about the diverse and youthful cast via trailers, behind- the- scenes videos and audience engagement events.