In 1990, the City and State of New York established the New 42nd Street, a nonprofit organization charged with redeveloping 42nd Street in Manhattan between 7th and 8th Avenues. Building by building, the New 42nd Street transformed what had become a seedy and unappealing block of decrepit theaters into a vibrant, family-friendly cultural destination. The New 42nd Street led the renovation and reopening of The Victory as the New Victory Theater, New York City’s first theater for kids and families, as well as the construction of the New 42nd Street Studios to support the creation of exciting new work.
Having completed the transformation of 42nd Street, the New 42nd Street had become one of New York City’s leading arts development and cultural organizations. But what they could boast in power, they lacked in recognition. The New 42nd Street needed a new identity: one that reflected their own transformation from an organization focused on urban redevelopment to an organization that catalyzes human development.
Key Deliverables
Additive partnered with the New 42nd Street to refocus its mission — to make extraordinary performing arts a vital part of everyone’s lives from the earliest years onward — and reenergize its strategy and messaging.
As a visionary force in America’s most iconic theater district, the New 42nd Street taps into the power of the performing arts to challenge, change and connect everyone. Fundamentally, they believe access to the performing arts is a right that starts from birth — the right for even the youngest among us to wonder “What if?” and to challenge “Why not?” Because the earlier the performing arts are a part of our lives, the sooner we can achieve the extraordinary.
With so many disparate projects, programs and properties under its charter, we revised the New 42nd Street’s brand architecture to make the organization’s portfolio more cohesive and seamless to navigate. This included a move to a blended house model and an updated, more consistent naming strategy that aligned projects and programs to their pre-existing communicative names.
The New 42nd Street became New 42, and New 42nd Street Studios became New 42 Studios. Although the New Victory Theater kept its existing name, we brought program names into closer alignment to increase positive brand association: LabWorks became New Victory LabWorks, and Victory Dance became New Victory Dance.
From this foundation, we developed an easy-to-use messaging toolkit to help New 42 drive awareness, support and action from its audiences. In addition, we developed an interim visual identity to help reinforce the revised brand architecture.
Through socialization and training, Additive helped New 42 rally around the new brand, and it began implementing the new brand strategy and architecture publicly, through a new website, signage, program materials and marketing campaign.
Once seen primarily as an urban redevelopment organization, New 42 is increasingly recognized as the nonprofit powering New Victory and New 42 Studios. Together, through its extraordinary performances and essential education and engagement initiatives, New 42 is sparking new perspectives, incubating new works and creating new opportunities in and beyond the performing arts.
