Harrison & Co tunes up Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment campaign

The work has taken a creative approach based on a personal photography project by creative director Chris Harrison.

The orchestra is a period instrument ensemble which uses original instruments from the Age of Enlightenment (roughly the period from the late 17th century through to the end of the 18th century). Harrison was charged with creating a 2010-2011 season campaign for the orchestra thatwould cover public and member brochures with a print run of 50 000, advertising including London Underground posters and billboards, and digital iterations to be used on the organisation’s website.

The consultancy was invited to present creative ideas in February, and Harrison turned to a self-portrait project, using gaffer tape for inspiration.’I know how brave the orchestra is with its marketing ideas, and thought something bold and graphic would lift this year’s campaign,’ says Harrison.

’Its tagline is “Not all orchestras are the same”, and this campaign plays with that – one lady turned up to the shoot with a viola from 1666,’ he adds. Enlisting a studio in London’s Bethnal Green and photographer Eric Richmond, Harrison invited 20 musicians over two days and photographed them in front of a purpose-built wall that was constructed out of MDF, plastered and lit.

The shapes and arrows are ’an interpretation of sound’, says Harrison, who is trying to recreate the look and feel of ’doodling on a picture’. ’It brings out their maverick nature really well,’ he explains.

William Norris, the orchestra’s marketing director, says the campaign will begin to roll out at the end of this month, and adds that the organisation will be holding a pitch later this year to redesign its website.