Sushi, A Center for the Urban Arts

challenge:

In 2004, Sushi lost its home when the building it was housed in went through extensive remodeling. After a four-year nomadic existence, Sushi was welcomed back into their brand new, old space. It just so happened to be at a time when funds for arts organizations dried up. What to do? Rebrand the organization and reopen its doors in a less than ideal climate.

strategy:

Reintroduce Sushi to San Diego and promote the new “Sushi Space” by creating marketing materials that supported Sushi’s position as a leader in exploratory art. People needed to be intrigued, attend a show, become a member, make a donation and tell their friends to do the same.

We started with a design of a new logo incorporating an irreverent fly. This logo influenced the tone for all other executions. New flexible exterior signage was developed, along with both seasonal and membership brochures. A blog was created to provide insight into upcoming shows, while public relations and Twitter were used regularly to keep the public updated. The resurrection of the Red Ball- their annual fundraiser – provided much-needed resources. A series of postcards and posters promoted upcoming Sushi events.

results:

Sushi reestablished itself with its core audience and started to see regular buzz about the organization and its shows, both online and in traditional media. Despite a challenging economic environment for arts organizations, it ended the year with a zero budget (which was its goal).