Opera Australia
Established by a merger of the Australian Opera and the Victorian State Opera companies in 1996, Opera Australia is one of the world’s busiest opera companies. It gains a considerably high proportion of its revenue (approximately 75 percent) from ticket sales, while the rest comes from private sponsorships, philanthropy, and government funds.
Unfortunately, Opera has traditionally been viewed as high art for an elitist and conservative audience. These perceptions have made opera mostly inaccessible to a wider audience and have led to an art form in decline.
In Opera Australia, we saw the opportunity to demystify opera by emphasizing its universal qualities: color, drama, passion, humanity, and vibrancy. These were themes that would appeal to the traditional as well as a wider contemporary audience.
Research showed that opera takes the emotions and situations of everyday life and makes them larger than life. In short – opera was life with the volume turned up. As such, “Life Amplified” became Opera Australia’s brand essence. It was used to drive all parts of Opera Australia’s brand communications – from identity to advertising to subscriptions.
The new essence has helped deliver higher awareness and appreciation for opera, opening the experience to a younger and wider audience.
Bravo!