We were asked to create a campaign to promote the London Symphony Orchestra’s 2018/19 season – the second under the direction of Sir Simon Rattle. The encompassing theme of the season is ‘Music of the Land’ – music inspired by landscapes.

Rather than the clichéd ‘rolling hills’ that have represented classical music for a century, we chose to imagine new ones.

Fundamental to the campaign is the new visual identity launched last year, which reinterprets motion capture data in collaboration with a different artist every year, communicating the emotion and experience of an LSO performance in new and unexpected ways.

Motion data captured in 360° was transformed into abstract land forms. Their formation is guided by the conductor’s baton, and the terrain reacts to the details of the orchestra’s performance.

The films and subsequent stills form the basis of the new seasons campaign, combined with expressive typography to showcase events online, in print and around London and the Barbican.

The season 2018/19 campaign has had great success for the orchestra driving new and existing audiences to engage with the LSO both digitally on social media and with ticket sales.

The LSO has a uniquely strong reputation for innovation.

In 2017, Sir Simon Rattle was announced as Music Director – based on shared values and passions. His first season coincided with a new visual identity which puts him at the heart of the brand, reinterpreting motion data with a new artist every year to create ‘conducted’ film and imagery reflecting the themes of the season.

The LSO’s second season under the direction of Sir Simon Rattle is embodied by the theme ‘Music of the Land’ – featuring pieces inspired by landscapes. Landscapes have long been a visual shorthand for classical music but suggest a predictable and clichéd form of the music. For a progressive company with a visceral playing style, we used motion capture technology of Sir Simon Rattle conducting the LSO to create reimagined landscapes that are truly reflective of their exhilarating performances.