BRAND IDENTITY

42nd St Moon

In 2016, 42nd Street Moon was a mid-size Bay Area theater company with a challenge: how to create a brand that reflected a new vision and a new relevancy. And also, how to deal with that terrible name.
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Challenging beginnings

Moon originated as a small company dedicated to presenting concert versions of “forgotten” shows—musicals from the Golden Age of Broadway that had faded from public memory. Regrettably, as their production values and audiences dwindled, it became evident why they had been forgotten in the first place.

In 2016, new Artistic Directors assumed control of the company from its founders and embarked on a mission transformation: Moon would shift its focus and repertoire to musicals that were either new, relevant, or newly relevant.

I was appointed to oversee the branding aspect of this process. The objective was to commence with a logo that exuded structural integrity, characterized by impressive architecture and clean lines, which subtly alluded to the Art Deco aesthetic of the company’s (and Broadway’s) past, without confining the company to it.

A significant obstacle: the name itself! “42nd Street Moon” is a quaint and antiquated piece of Broadway slang that referred to the lights of 42nd Street. It lacks versatility, relevance, mellifluousness, or universal appeal—yet the name persisted.

A bright new day

Our solution was a purely typographic logo treatment utilizing geometry as a foundation. The 4 and the 2 were redrawn to seamlessly connect and convey a positive, upward eyeflow. The primary logo employs a single color: black. Reverse versions can utilize either white or a pale yellow, superimposed on either black or deep blue—suggestive of a night sky, which serves as the sole reference to the moon within the logo. Similar to the lights of Midtown, the glow here is not centered around celestial bodies but rather theatrical signage.

Maintaining the geometric nature of the logo allowed for its adaptability to various situations. It could be transformed into a 3D representation reminiscent of Hollywood studio logos, a lit marquee, or a vibrant rainbow for Pride celebrations. The robust structure of the logo ensured its integrity regardless of the content it was filled with or the manner in which it was treated.

Additional applications

The architectural design of the logo established a visual language that could be utilized for subsidiary brands, including their education arm, a 25th Anniversary brandmark, and other programming initiatives.

Furthermore, the project encompassed additional assignments, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown, when streaming content became increasingly crucial.

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DC Scarpelli is an artist. He understands what the client wants to say with each piece and then he makes it happen. His use of color, line, contrast, and type is endlessly inventive, and his experience, kindness, and generosity make him one of my favorite collaborators.

— Daren A.C. Carollo
    Artistic Director, 42nd Street Moon   

KEY TAKEAWAY:
SHINE
The collaboration with 42nd Street Moon proved to be one of the most fruitful partnerships of my career. In addition to the comprehensive rebranding, I was responsible for creating all their season key art for six years.The results were remarkable. 42nd Street Moon transitioned from a theatrical anomaly to a prime San Francisco theatre destination, encompassing both classic and contemporary productions. Implementing brand guidelines across a prominent public institution and giving it a distinct identity was a very fulfilling experience. When Moon fell victim to the disastrous, post-pandemic wave of theatre closures — what the SF Chronicle called the "theatrical death spiral," the Bay Area lost something special.
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