Client
Basement Orchestra
Team
Photographer—Beth Crockatt
Hand-drawn letters—Fiona Louise Monteith
Areas
Branding & Identity
Event Graphics
Illustration
Merchandise
Print
Basement Orchestra makes beautiful music in unexpected places. Founded in 2012, this 50-piece musical behemoth has broken the boundaries of the traditional orchestral performance, swapping concert halls for wind-swept car parks, legendary record stores, and iconic underground venues. Whether scoring films for up-and-coming directors or surprising festival-goers on the main stage of Secret Garden Party and Mighty Hoopla, Basement Orchestra is all about blissful noise and a come-as-you-are vibe.
Logo, before & after
The challenge
As a creative, self-proclaimed family, Basement Orchestra needed an identity that was bold, playful, and unmistakably theirs—something that embodied their rebellious spirit while bringing their members together under a cohesive visual identity.
The solution
At the heart of the new brand is a hand-drawn wordmark, a nod to the orchestra’s organic, free-spirited nature. Accompanying it is Bob—a quirky character icon inspired by the orchestra’s infamous costumes at Secret Garden Party. These elements form the foundation of a playful and ever-evolving brand system, where letters shift and re-form to fit into different spaces—just like the orchestra itself.
The tagline ‘Not a Cult’ was born from a particularly riotous social gathering, quickly becoming an inside joke that the orchestra fully embraced. Now, it stands proudly as a cheeky, irreverent mantra that perfectly encapsulates the group’s energy.
Logo variants
The impact
The new identity is as bold, unconventional, and full of character as the musicians who bring Basement Orchestra to life. Whether emblazoned on merch, posters, or digital content, it confidently reflects what makes Basement, Basement.
“Everyone in the orchestra has fallen in love with the brand and it is already helping us to communicate to our followers in a more exciting and genuine way.”
“Rosie’s work and imagination not only gave us a stunning new brand to fall in love with but totally challenged and refined the way we perceive our organisation in every regard.”
