AO Arena - Rebranding an Icon
20.20 were tasked with rebranding AO arena as part of its £50m renovation project. We needed to bring entrances, wayfinding, signage, concourses, VIP bars, restaurants, private lounges and star performers’ dressing rooms together under a cohesive brand execution.
After conducting a thorough site audit, we categorised the signage into type, aesthetic and material and mapped every single point of brand communication. We then created a hierarchy and set of principles that flowed from the exterior to the bowl – and back again.
We thoughtfully edited AO Arena’s signage and created a full content strategy to streamline navigation and define brand messaging that pairs emotive language (about the excitement of attending an event) with rational wayfinding (like how to get there).
When looking at signage design, we expanded the brand’s icon range to deliver clarity and accessibility for all guests. We also married up ticketing communications with entrance names to control the flow of guests and make sure everyone knows exactly where to go when they arrive.
Alongside intuitive, rational wayfinding, we designed the concourses to feel more premium, creating beacons for the arena bowl and uplifting our VIP entrances to differentiate them from the concourse. This means the AO brand can communicate with guests on a more emotional level.
The Star Dressing Rooms, Green Room and back-of-house walkways have also been upgraded. As well as creating comfortable and beautiful spaces for our artists, we layered narratives inspired by iconic performances like those from The Rolling Stones, Whitney Houston and Beyonce as well as famous Manchester music venues, like the Hacienda and Twisted Wheel to add further gravitas and resonance to the occasion, connecting artists and Arena teams with the bigger picture.
