BBC Philharmonic and 999 Design

CHILDREN in Manchester are being encouraged to get into classical music thanks to a new collaboration between the BBC Philharmonic and 999 Design.

Journey Through Music is an exciting initiative created by the BBC Philharmonic and 999's Manchester-based design team aimed at providing easier access to the Orchestra's 2008/09 concert season for young people aged eight to 14.

With a view to broadening the scope of its target audience, the BBC Philharmonic has singled out the concerts in its main season at Manchester's magnificent Bridgewater Hall, which it feels will most appeal to a younger audience.

999, which has additional offices in London and Glasgow, was tasked with creating informative and eye-catching marketing collateral to support the programme, which launched with the first concert last week.

The agency commissioned an illustrator to design two colourful, musical characters based on a young boy, Benny Bass, and young girl, Tallulah Treble. Both feature across the material designed by 999 aimed at communicating the experience of live, classic orchestral music in a fun and educational way.

As part of the initiative, parents can take advantage of discounted ticket prices and the choice of attending either just the first or second half of the concert to allow for families with busy lifestyles or those with younger children who might find a full-length concert too long.

999, which has been working with BBC Philharmonic for more than two years, has also developed an inventive way of highlighting the orchestra's new 'Meet the Phil' season that allows visitors to watch the orchestra rehearse, meet and talk with players, conductors, composers and sound engineers.

The free sessions are open to schools, colleges and universities as well as the general public, and 999 has produced a clever A2-size poster which reveals an orchestral layout, but can also be folded into an A5 booklet that highlights seasonal concert information on the reverse.

BBC Philharmonic marketing manager, Amanda Dorr, said: "We have been delighted with the work 999 has produced, not only this concert season, but over the past two years as we recognised from the outset that their creative approach really reflected the Orchestra's core values.

"I knew that their team would understand the brief and that this campaign would appeal to their original way of thinking. The Journey Through Music initiative demonstrates this and we hope it will communicate information to young people in Manchester in a way that will leave them with a lasting musical experience."