The National Children’s Theatre in Johannesburg, South Africa was founded in 1979, and remains one of the most prominent institutions of its kind within the Gauteng province.
While the theater saw considerable success in its development of engaging and award- winning shows, it seemed to be missing the opportunity to leverage a higher social role to train youth in leadership
Ideon ultimately sought to make NCT the most relevant center for entertainment and educational growth, for children, families and schools alike, and to refocus its efforts around inspiring the next diverse generation of South African leaders.
Following a strategic review of the category and brand, we shifted NCT from the tired and dated “What” brand focused on a catalog of performing arts to a newly energized “Why” brand that lights up the lives of South African youth.
The rebrand was framed around the new mantra of “magical fascination,” making it a beacon of enlightenment and joy for the youth in a predominantly bleak educational and entertainment environment.
To reflect this, we reimagined the brand’s communications by designing banners, billboards, posters, signage and assets for each show that capture the delight the theatre takes in developing its shows, workshops and camps, as well as the audience excitement that emerges.
This pivot from production to illumination has breathed new life into the National Children’s Theatre. Since rebranding, NCT has received accolades and reviews as never before, and full capacity attendance at many of its recent shows.
Moira Katz, recently retired CEO of NCT explains, "When I came on board, NCT was a company with a logo and a suitcase full of assets, but not a distinctive brand. It was really time to rethink and establish what we were about. Ideon has managed this with great skill, tapping into research, strategy, design and brand activation to solidify the many areas we embrace.”
We are honored to have partnered with NCT in this important, socially impactful initiative, and we continue to support them today in fundraising efforts — especially given NCT’s new charitable status as a 501(c)(3) in the USA.