Putting a modest music icon centre stage

Ancienne Belgique, Putting a modest music icon centre stage

Brand Identity, Strategy, UX/UI

The Clash, Leonard Cohen, Stromae and Destiny’s Child...

Everyone from The Clash and Leonard Cohen to Stromae and Destiny's Child has graced the stage at Ancienne Belgique (AB). Since 1976 AB has established itself as one of Europe’s most iconic venues, yet its own brand had remained in the shadows - until now. 

Keep your ear to the ground

Ancienne Belgique knows what’s going on in the music world and the world outside. Keeping their ear to the ground comes through in everything that they do, whether it’s supporting young talent, banning plastic bottles in the venue or serving water during Ramadan. So to make sure our ideas were on point, we followed AB’s example. We conducted qualitative interviews with Brussels residents of different ages and backgrounds - both frequent visitors to AB and people who had never been there before. This helped us open the doors to new target groups who didn’t feel connected to AB. The result is a brand story that comes to life on every touchpoint.

A visual soundscape

What makes Ancienne Belgique unique is its top-notch sound system. Musicians love playing there because of the intimate connection to the audience. Concerts can be everything from epic shows that blow the roof off, to performances of fragile beauty received in reverent silence. We wanted to bring this range of powerful experiences to the people of Brussels in a way they could feel long before they enter AB.  

We found the result in a motion-driven brand system that adapts to each artist, target audience and storyline. The AB logo sets the identity in motion: sometimes sharp and edgy, at other times soft and easy-going. Powered by the dynamics of four different typefaces and endless motion possibilities, Ancienne Belgique can share its multi-faceted personality across all its digital assets.

Making a mark

Ancienne Belgique challenged us to think about new ways to implement their story, without focusing on traditional marketing assets like posters or flyers. We’re currently working on interactive signage to bring the concert experience alive in the streets of Brussels.

The marketing team is restructured and now has all the tools they need to convince all of Brussels to pay a visit. See you in the next live!

Client
Ancienne Belgique
Services

Brand story & brand positioning Visual Identity Design Language System User research & interviews UX/UI Design

Collaboration

Photography:

Implementation: Ancienne Belgique

Development: Inventis

Verve created a brand identity system that AB’s relevance and role in the city of Brussels. The strategy is based on gaining new audiences by making the existing and potential AB community part of the journey.