A beloved institution with an identity that had stopped growing. The work wasn't about reinvention — it was about honoring what made Music by the Lake special and giving it a visual language worthy of the experience.
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Key Impact1,000+ First-Time Ticket Buyers • 200 New Donors • 7,600 Attendees Year One • Surpasses Ticket Sales Goals Annually
The Unique Challenge
• A small but beloved summer concert series on the shores of Geneva Lake, Wisconsin needed to evolve its visual identity to attract new audiences without alienating the loyal community that had built it
• Existing identity lacked the sophistication and flexibility to work across the growing range of touchpoints — print, digital, environmental, and social — required to compete in a crowded summer entertainment market
• The brand needed to feel timeless and rooted in place, not trendy — appealing to first-time visitors while resonating with returning guests who had emotional ties to the series
• Photography direction was unfocused, failing to communicate the unique lakeside experience that made Music by the Lake distinct from any other summer concert series
The Strategic Solution
• Developed three distinct identity concepts for client review, each rooted in a different strategic interpretation of the brand's heritage and audience relationship
• Launched a selected identity grounded in historical significance with modern graphic elements — a vertical typographic lockup anchored by a wave motif that evokes both the lake and the rhythm of live music
• Redirected photography strategy to prioritize the irreplaceable lakeside experience — the setting, the atmosphere, the community — over generic performance imagery
• Applied the identity system across the full brand ecosystem: print collateral, season programs, digital advertising, email marketing, environmental signage, social content, and web
• Developed a sponsorship and donor communication suite that elevated the brand's perceived prestige and made giving feel like community investment
Measurable Impact
• Attracted 1,000+ first-time ticket buyers in the first year of the refreshed brand, demonstrating immediate effectiveness in reaching new audiences
• Grew donor base by 200 new contributors, validating the brand's elevated positioning and increased perceived value
• Drew 7,600 attendees in year one, with the series continuing to surpass ticket sales goals annually following the rebrand
• Engagement swelled immediately upon launch, with the refreshed identity creating measurable improvement in audience growth across all channels
Key Leadership Competencies
• Brand strategy and identity development translating heritage, place, and community values into a cohesive, flexible visual system
• Creative concept development presenting multiple strategic directions and guiding client decision-making toward the strongest long-term choice
• Photography and visual direction reorienting content strategy to prioritize authentic experience over generic imagery
• Multi-channel brand application extending identity across print, digital, environmental, social, and fundraising touchpoints with consistency and craft
• Client and stakeholder partnership working directly with organizational leadership to align creative vision with business and community goals
