In the summer of 2018, the Berlin Philharmonic faced an artistic and a commercial challenge. Between the departure of the former chief conductor Sir Simon Rattle and the start of his successor Kirill Petrenko, there is an entire season without a chief conductor. How do we communicate this extraordinary season to a demanding audience?

The vacancy at the conductor’s stand will not result in disorder or a lack of artistic direction. Instead it offers a chance for creativity. We present the change at the Berlin Philharmonic in a playful manner: with an artistic intervention at their home. Everything in the Berlin Philharmonic Hall is rearranged.

The campaign was targeted at the audience in Berlin as well as worldwide via the Digital Concert Hall subscription service. Like for many orchestras, the audience of the Berliner Philharmoniker tends to be quite conservative. The approach was that they perceive this special season not as creative anarchy or as a lack of vision and guidance, but that they rather see it as a chance for creative freedom for the orchestra.

From the orchestra’s equipment, we created sculptures, installations and spatial compositions. They were presented in a temporary exhibition in the Berlin Philharmonic Hall and they became the visual framework for the entire communication throughout the season – from the season calendar, the concert posters and flyers to the online communication. So the campaign became the unique face of an exceptional year.

As difficult as it often may be, the transitional period between the two leaderships did not result in commercial or artistic losses. Quite the contrary. Ticket sales at the box office as well as for the Digital Concert Hall subscription service could be increased in comparison to the previous years, The worldwide reputation as an artistically strong and independent orchestra was further manifested and strengthened by the campaign.