The festival’s debut brand identity brings motion, music, and cinematic storytelling to life.
A brand-new festival dedicated to the art of film and TV music is making its debut in London this year, and with it comes a striking new identity crafted by Baxter & Bailey. The London Soundtrack Festival—founded by composer and broadcaster Tommy Pearson and producer Svitlana Gunning – celebrates the role of music in film, television, and gaming, bringing some of the most recognisable scores and their composers into the spotlight.
To translate this concept into a distinctive visual identity, the Brighton-based design studio took inspiration from the screens where soundtracks come to life, developing a kinetic, shape-shifting grid system that echoes the format of cinema, television, and gaming screens. The result is an ever-moving brand system that perfectly reflects the festival’s celebration of sound in motion.
The festival will take place across some of London’s most iconic cultural venues, including the BFI, Southbank Centre, Roundhouse, Cadogan Hall, Wigmore Hall, and the Barbican. It will offer a packed programme of performances, talks, and masterclasses featuring legends from across the film and music industries.
Capturing the rhythm of sound
For Baxter & Bailey, the brief was a dream opportunity—not just because of the creative freedom but also because of their long-standing collaboration with Pearson, dating back to their earliest projects for the London Symphony Orchestra.
“The brief from Tommy was quite open, but with lots of background information and insight,” explains Matt Baxter, founder and creative director at Baxter & Bailey. “As we do with all of our projects, we developed a creative brief ourselves, working closely with Tommy and Svitlana to ensure the final identity matched their vision and ambition for the festival while also surprising and delighting them a little bit too.”
The inspiration for the visual identity was clear: soundtracks exist within screens, whether in film, TV, or gaming. So, naturally, the design system is built around a flexible grid of screen formats, which act as a container for typography, imagery, and video.
This approach allows the festival to feature a diverse mix of content, from still images and film excerpts to dynamic visuals, all while maintaining a cohesive and recognisable brand.
Motion as a core design principle
Given that the festival revolves around music in motion, it was essential that movement played a central role in the identity. The Baxter & Bailey team worked with motion specialist Richard Coldicott to develop a system that feels fluid, rhythmic, and ever-shifting, ensuring the identity never feels static.
“The festival is a celebration of sound on screen,” Baxter explains. “Audiences—whether attending performances, talks, or engaging with the festival online—will mostly experience the brand on-screen. That gave us the impetus to ensure that motion was integral, creating a brand that feels kinetic and alive.”
This constant movement is most evident in the typography, where flowing type animations create a sense of rhythm that mirrors the dynamism of film scores. Even in static formats, like posters and print materials, the design conveys a feeling of movement, ensuring that the festival’s identity remains as expressive as the music it celebrates.
A carefully balanced visual language
The festival branding had to strike a balance between the worlds of film and music without leaning too heavily toward one or the other.
“The identity is silent—and that’s intentional,” Baxter reveals. “We didn’t want a single musical reference to dominate the festival’s visual world because the programme is so eclectic.”
Instead, the studio relied on typography—both static and animated—to convey the rhythm and movement of music. London Soundtrack Festival’s two lead typefaces are Aktiv Grotesk, a chunky, modern sans-serif that brings clarity and impact, and Big Caslon, a classic yet expressive serif that adds elegance and contrast.
Together, they create a brand that feels contemporary but timeless, avoiding the risk of leaning too classical or too modern.
A vibrant yet versatile colour palette
The festival’s colour palette plays a crucial role in defining its visual tone while allowing it to integrate seamlessly with a wide variety of film and gaming imagery.
“The palette needed enough personality to stand out but also had to complement a diverse range of content,” says Baxter. “The result is a carefully curated mix that is vibrant when needed but also adaptable to work alongside stills and video.”
At the core of the brand’s colour system are two key shades: Orchestra Orange—the festival’s signature, standout colour and Backstage Black—a grounding, flexible neutral. These provide a strong visual foundation, while additional secondary colours bring variety and adaptability across different applications.
Print, digital, and motion
One of the biggest challenges in branding a multifaceted cultural festival is ensuring the identity works seamlessly across everything from print to digital, moving assets, and in-person experiences.
Baxter explains: “We wanted posters and other static materials to retain a sense of movement and dynamism.
“The combination of fluid grids and expressive typography gives even print designs an illusion of motion. We’ve just reviewed some print tests from Gavin Martin, our long-time print collaborators, and they really do feel like shifting, fluid things—even though they’re simply ink on paper.”
The festival’s legacy
With the London Soundtrack Festival set to establish itself as a major annual event, the identity was designed with longevity in mind.
“There’s enough flexibility in the current identity for it to carry the festival through at least four or five years largely unchanged,” Baxter explains. “We imagine we’ll explore motion even further and perhaps think about ways of integrating sound into future branding applications.
He adds: “As the festival grows, there are exciting opportunities to expand—whether through Spotify playlists, podcasts, or in-game collaborations.”
The goal for this first year is simple: sell tickets and establish the festival as a must-attend cultural event. “There’s a huge potential audience for this festival—classical music fans, contemporary music fans, pop fans, film fans, telly addicts, gamers… there’s something for everyone,” says Baxter.
With a line-up including David Cronenberg, Howard Shore, Jake Shears, and Neil Tennant, the London Soundtrack Festival is sure to make a big impact, and its kinetic, screen-inspired identity will play a crucial role in shaping its future.
