When a performing arts centre looks like every other performing arts centre, nobody notices. That's where Agenda came in...
Services
Client
Website
Challenge
Mohawk College's theatre needed a brand refresh to better reflect their uniqueness as a destination venue and better appeal to their students and community.
Here’s the thing about performing arts venues: they all start to look the same after a while. McIntyre PAC had this problem in spades—their visual identity screamed “generic theatre circa 2005” when they needed to be shouting “vibrant cultural hub where students and pros collide.” They were hosting incredible performances but blending into Hamilton’s arts scene like beige wallpaper. Students walked past without a second glance, and the broader community? They had no idea what they were missing.
Goal
We needed to solve a tricky puzzle: how do you make a venue feel both cutting-edge and welcoming, student-friendly and professionally credible?
The brand had to work double-duty—speaking to 20-year-old theatre students grabbing coffee before class and 50-year-old season ticket holders planning their weekend. Our job was to create something that felt authentically McIntyre PAC, not just another pretty logo slapped on a building. Think less “trying too hard to be cool” and more “confidently owning their unique space in Hamilton’s cultural landscape.”
Result
Sometimes the numbers tell the whole story—and boy, do they ever here.
McIntyre PAC more than doubled their annual revenue compared to pre-pandemic levels, which is frankly remarkable in an industry that’s still finding its footing. But here’s what really gets us excited: they finally have a brand that feels like them. As they put it: “We more than doubled our annual revenue over pre-covid levels, and part of that success is the brand and the website, and having a centralized look to call our own.” That last part—having something to call their own—that’s the real win.
