At the recent Brand Impact Awards 2016, outstanding work by the creative agency Purpose for Birmingham Hippodrome secured us the coveted winning slot in the ‘Culture’ category.

The highly competitive awards recognise excellence from design consultancies, branding and advertising agencies encompassing a huge range of platforms and media from digital to direct marketing, from environmental to exhibitions, and from literature to merchandise and packaging.

A stellar line-up of judges was split between creative directors at top branding agencies – including Turner Duckworth, Wolff Olins and GBH – and client-side consultants with senior experience at brands such as Coca-Cola and Virgin.  Competition was stiff with ‘highly commended’ work by Wolf Olins for New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and submissions by Brighton Festival and the Brutalist Playground.

Purpose’s brief was to review the theatre’s corporate identity and establish more clearly the brand values at a time of significant change for the theatre.

After receiving the award GILES REDMAYNE from Purpose said: “Just the slightest scratching of the surface at Birmingham Hippodrome revealed an extraordinary organisation filled with truly passionate people – a passion that explodes on to the stage and the streets of Birmingham and beyond. The project is so much more than a fresh visual identity, and the visual identity, in turn, is so much more than just that. The Hippodrome is no longer just the productions that the spotlight falls upon – now the whole organisation can take equal billing.”

ROB MACPHERSON, Marketing & Development Director at Birmingham Hippodrome added: “Purpose persuaded us to take a big leap of faith with a strong and vibrant identity, enabling endless inventiveness. They showed us how to achieve maximum flexibility, whilst adding theatrical flair and a sense of fun. It is possible to go beyond just selling the big shows, creating new space for our own voice as both the presenter, and as a significant charitable investor.”