Royal Winnipeg Ballet: A Fresh Vision for a Storied Company

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet is the longest running ballet company in North America. With new leadership and a fresh artistic vision, the company needed a brand that could signal the changes that were beginning to take shape. BMD was asked to bring their ambition to life and recapture audiences through new strategy, logo and brand identity, and digital footprint.

Tall banner hanging from the side of a building that features a photograph of dancers and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet logo.
Person holding a black tote bag with the Royal Winnipeg Logo on it.

Royal & Radical

 

It was important for the BMD team to understand the context and the rich history of RWB. The Prairies’ setting, the unconventional beginnings, the ambition of the leadership and the desires of the community all came into play as we articulated a new brand platform and visual expression.

Royal Winnipeg Ballet was the very first in the Commonwealth to earn a Queen’s royal blessing, an unexpected achievement for a company with radical roots and a penchant for highly inventive productions.
Historical image of black and white logo for the Canadian Pacific Railway.
The history of the “Gateway to the West” as a railway hub was inspirational for the new visual identity and our typography choices.
Closeup image of a board with research images pinned to it and sticky notes describing workshop notes.
A pop-up studio allowed us to engage with the RWB dance community to understand where they felt they stood in the world of dance and ballet.
The W stretches to a unique position, subtly signalling Winnipeg’s pride of place and the RWB’s instinct to challenge conventions. We colourize the W and “Winnipeg” in the long form mark to give the city the presence it deserves.
Two female dancers in shadow, dancing against a blue background.
Classical form meets the freedom to move beyond it.
Poster leaning against a wall advertising the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's production of Giselle.

We carried the gesture of the expanded W in the logo through to the secondary font. We can bring the dynamism and energy to everyday communications with a variable and complementary typeface.

Blue sandwich board sign that says
Woman holding a white postcard that says

The core colour palette allows easy differentiation between the ballet company and the ballet school. Black draws on the performance environment, white pulls from the school’s studio spaces. A vibrant blue as key brand colour is inspired by the prairie sky. In marketing communications, the key colour is defined by the photography of different productions.

Diagram showing colours from the RWB brand and accompanying photographs.

BMD partnered with digital agency Plank to improve usability and accessibility and to create a dynamic hub for both the ballet company and the school with clearer pathways to each. Edge to edge photography, new motion behaviours and video moments, the site becomes more immersive, bringing our audiences closer to the experience.

Laptop on a table with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet website open.
Billboard at dusk advertising a Royal Winnipeg Ballet production.
Brochure on a black table advertising

The dynamic W gives us a tool to play with in motion and special graphics. By repeating the W, we can create recognition across different touchpoints, essential for a new brand entering the world.

The corps de ballet provided inspiration for the W dance.
Hand holding a phone that shows a countdown with text that says
“I’m excited by a brand that honours our spirit while giving it a new expression.”
Christopher Stowell — Artistic Director
Black toque hat with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet logo embroidered on the front.
“BMD was a true partner throughout the process.”
Amy Rebecca Harrison — Director of Marketing and Communications
  • Client

    Royal Winnipeg Ballet

  • Industry

    Arts & Culture

  • Services

    Branding, Digital

  • Collaborators

    Plank

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