SFCMA
Since 1931 the San Francisco Civic Symphony has offered affordable and free opportunities for classical music lovers and amateur musicians in the San Francisco bay area. They are a civic-minded, volunteer based, non-profit. Their concerts are free and dues are not mandatory. They welcome all levels, all backgrounds, and all players. The SFCS wanted to grow as an organization and experiment with new genres, while fostering their legacy within San Francisco. In order to expand beyond symphony performances, we changed their name to the San Francisco Civic Music Association. The SFCMA can provide a more extensive musical offering to its participants, expanding into new ensembles such a jazz or pop. After a full brand audit, we surfaced many inconsistencies in the brand identity that were ready for a fresh start as well. The SFCMA identity was born from their established voice, but we wanted to inject creativity and imagination to represent the unique diversity of the organization. Musicians don’t always think in linear thoughts, but they respect all music and musicians. With that in mind, we pared modern letterforms in a non-linear sequence to represent notes on the scale. The new logo became the centerpiece for all collateral, helping to establish the brand in the community and build equity around the new identity. The vibrant color palette was inspired by the landmarks of the city; the Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, California’s yellow sunshine, bright ocean and deep blue sky. The brand launched in May at the annual gala and was a great success. The new name and identity has made way for new genres, which has attracted new participants, increased the number of musicians in the association and ultimately opened up more musical variety to a the San Francisco community.