Boldly bringing historical queer love to the operatic stage

Digital marketing campaign for Lowbrow Opera Collective’s production
more than friends: a triptych of queer love through the ages

TL;DR

Challenge

Attract audiences to more than friends, Lowbrow’s first production centered around the theme of queer love

Solution

Implement a bold, dreamlike visual strategy
Highlight more than friend’s accessibility
Promote supplementary community events
Publish lighthearted content

My role

Content Director

What I did

Digital marketing strategy
Communication strategy
Content strategy
Social media copywriting
Social media management
Visual design

Tools

Squarespace
Miro
Figma
Meta Business Suite
Canva
iMovie
YouTube Create

About Lowbrow Opera Collective

Lowbrow Opera Collective, founded in 2018 in Seattle, is a nonprofit regional theater company revitalizing opera performance by presenting new works that are accessible to the modern audience. Our vision is for opera to thrive as an evolving art form by telling new and relevant stories to diverse audiences.  

Overview

In 2023, Lowbrow Opera Collective launched its most ambitious and culturally significant production to date: more than friends: a triptych of queer love through the ages, in collaboration with 18th & Union, an arts space, in Seattle, WA.

This production featured 3 short operatic works: one about Achilles and Patroclus, one about Emily Dickinson and Sue Gilbert, and one about a modern sapphic relationship. Until that point, Lowbrow’s projects were led by mostly queer teams and consistently featured queer themes. more than friends marked the first time Lowbrow had unabashedly centered queer love in its production, and it was time to share with the world.

Challenge

Despite operating as a nonprofit with nearly zero marketing budget and a team of just three volunteer content creators, Lowbrow’s digital marketing campaign for more than friends resulted in record-breaking audience numbers, social media growth, and increased regional recognition. This was Lowbrow’s breakthrough season, solidifying our name recognition and reputation as a Seattle arts community staple. So how did we do it?

Strategy

Dreamlike, neon, and [redacted]: branding & visual strategy

The first indication of Lowbrow’s visual marketing strategy for the season is the season announcement. Three visual elements of the season announcement, rolled out in September 2022, were important to communicating the overall feel of the show:

  • A dreamlike cloudy pink background, ‘millennial pink’ being a color associated with Lowbrow Opera Collective since its inception in 2018. Also indicative of the ethereal nature of the three one-act operas selections, from lucid fever dream to daydreaming of the past.

  • Striking neon busts of antiquity, cueing the audience into the historical settings of two of the three one-acts. The neon depicting the vibrancy of the historical bust, implying a vivid existence and rich background.

  • The logo for More Than Friends logo had the title layered amidst censor bars, visually representing the show’s themes of reclaiming censored queer narratives.

We wanted the audience to know that more than friends was a Lowbrow show about showcasing the vibrancy of queer love narratives through the lens of what was and continues to be [redacted].

Gay as f*** and here for everyone: marketing strategies

1. Accessibility First

Free tickets on opening night to remove financial barriers.

Mask-only performances for immunocompromised supporters.

Livestream options to reach audiences beyond Seattle.

2. Silly Content

Yes, silly. Lowbrow Opera Collective doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s part of the ‘making opera approachable’ thing.

And when the topic of the production is ‘uncovering previously censored/erased queer narratives’, you need to incorporate some joy and levity.

3. Community Engagement… with Memes

Hosted Indelible: Reflections on Queerness in the Performing Arts, an evening of music and discussion on queer representation in the arts.

Indelible featured a panel discussion by Seattle musicians, conductors, and University of Washington gender studies professors. There were also performances of music by more than friends composer Dana Kaufman, as well as a sneak peek of Achilles and Patroclus.

And in preparation for this event, we meme’d. The silly content continues!

…and continues.

Results & Impact

  • more than friends attracted the largest audience of any Lowbrow production to date, with over half of the performances being sold-out.

  • 83% audience growth rate and 44% increase in social media following year-over-year.

  • National recognition as a semi-finalist for two American Prizes in Opera Performance.

  • Lowbrow was featured in The Seattle Times, boosting credibility and local interest.

  • Sparked a budding partnership with Seattle Opera, expanding opportunities for collaborations including serving as featured artists for their Open House two years running.

Conclusion

more than friends was a landmark production for Lowbrow Opera Collective, proving that opera with explicitly queer narratives can thrive. Our digital marketing campaign successfully built an engaged community, expanded accessibility, and positioned Lowbrow Opera Collective as a leader in contemporary, inclusive opera. By merging bold branding, creative engagement, and audience-centered accessibility, we not only amplified the visibility of queer love stories, but laid the groundwork for a more inclusive future in opera.