Pacific Northwest Ballet — Rudi O'Meara

Pacific Northwest Ballet

Challenge /

One of the elite ballet companies in the world, PNB was at a bit of a turning point when I was tapped to help elevate their marketing presence, Having just moved into their beautiful new headquarters (complete with an award-winning ballet school, costume shop, scenery department, and massive rehearsal space) the company’s Artistic Directors were hoping to make a big splash—and to find new ways to infuse everything they put out into the world with the same elegance, refinement, beauty, and precision as the art form itself.

Oh, and I had to buy a tux. Because, of course…

Solution /

Like all my favorite projects, this one was equal parts design and storytelling. Whether working on debut posters, season brochures, or opening night invitations, the brief was to do more with less—and to immerse new audiences in the behind the scenes stories of every performance. I even had the good fortune of being charged with the design, editorial management, and print production of a monthly tabloid magazine intended to invite longtime subscribers and ballet neophytes alike behind the curtain and onto centerstage in a hard hitting, journalistic way. Oh, and it had to be entirely free to produce (thus my first foray into firsthand fundraising).

So, yeah. Best job ever, basically.

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