Ballet Hawaii - The Nutcracker
A lavish Hawaii-themed production fusing the classic Nutcracker story with the rich history and island spirit of the 1858 Kingdom of Hawaii.
The campaign identity needed to honor the tradition and prestige of the ballet while bringing a distinctly local character — whimsical, considered, and entirely its own.
Scope: Brand Identity, Illustration, Print Design, Outdoor Advertising, Merchandise
Context
Ballet Hawaii needed a campaign identity for their Hawaii-themed production of The Nutcracker — a production that fused the classic story with the rich history and island spirit of the 1858 Kingdom of Hawaii. The challenge was to honor the tradition and prestige of the ballet while bringing a distinctly local character to the identity.
"The classic story, reimagined through the spirit of the islands."
Approach
The identity was built around clarity, structure, and restraint. A refined typographic system and controlled color palette establish a sense of precision, while subtle details in the mark and layout system reinforce a more considered, high-touch experience across applications.
Illustration and Identity
The Nutcracker character was designed from scratch — waves for hair, plumeria buttons on his coat, and a period hat that contains the logotype. Every detail was considered to reflect the 1858 Kingdom of Hawaii setting.
The identity was originally created in 2016 and refreshed in 2023 — evolving the craft while honoring the character of the original.
Print and Outdoor Advertising
Campaign Motion
A short reel created to announce the return of The Nutcracker to the Blaisdell Concert Hall — bringing the campaign illustration to life and building anticipation for the production.
Merchandise
Outcome
A campaign identity that extended across print, digital, outdoor advertising, merchandise, and the production itself — giving Ballet Hawaii a visual language as distinctive as the show it was built for. The reimagined Nutcracker character became the face of the campaign, resonating with audiences who saw both the familiar and the entirely new.