Rose Design creates new Hampstead Theatre identity

The consultancy was appointed in March, shortly after Ed Hall joined the theatre as artistic director. Hall had worked with Rose on previous projects at the Old Vic theatre and invited the consultancy to take part in a three-way credentials-led pitch.

Rose was chosen because of its experience both in branding and campaigns, says Hampstead Theatre head of marketing Christine Bradburn.

Rose was keen to create a bold logo for the theatre that would stand out in visually crowded settings, such as the Tube, says Rose creative director Simon Elliott.

He says, ’The identity needed to sit next to a noisy environment of competitors, so we wanted to strip it down to the bare minimum. The theatre professes to be different so we needed to change its visual language.’

The colour palette and photography for campaigns will be dictated by each production, but will retain the same pared-down aesthetic, says Elliott.

Rose chose a distinctive typeface based on a woodblock font, to make the identity recognisable even when the logo is covered.

Elliott says, ’The font has an interesting heritage and there’s that analogy of treading the boards, which are nearly always wooden.’

The identity, which will be seen on marketing and communications materials, wayfinding and signage, will roll out from next week.