THE LEEDS

The Challenge.

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Held every three years in West Yorkshire, The Leeds is a world-renowned piano competition rooted in a single UK city. As it entered a new chapter in 2021, the team needed a refreshed identity that could reflect both sides of the brand: serious musical prestige on one hand, and open community engagement on the other. The logo had to stay, but everything around it needed fresh purpose.

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Our Approach

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We retained the original mark but unlocked its potential through more dynamic applications, evolving the piano key into a flexible system used across quote marks, layout devices and layered visuals. The identity flexed across two moods: a darker, grainier tone for the competition’s intensity, and a brighter, more inclusive palette to reflect its outreach work in schools and community centres across Leeds. The result is a brand that speaks to judges and families, professionals and schoolchildren alike.

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The Impact.

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From billboards and banners to a coveted souvenir brochure, the identity ran across every touchpoint and is still being used today. The 2021 competition reached new audiences, brought music into underserved spaces and gave Leeds a moment to be proud of on the world stage.