The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association invited long-time partner Mode Project to collaborate alongside their award-winning CSO Photographer Todd Rosenberg in creating an insider video announcing Klaus Mäkelä as the CSO’s new music director. The effort would give viewers a personal meeting with Mäkelä and allow them to experience firsthand his emotional anticipation at joining this world-class institution and signature piece of Chicago’s cultural fabric.
“There was no question we wanted Mode there from the start. It was important to get this right. Klaus Mäkelä is only the 11th music director in the CSO’s 133-year history!”
The story of human connection driving this powerful partnership of Mäkelä and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was in turn being told by a partnership of creative resources assembled to craft the video. Trusted for their deep experience in documentary-style storytelling, Mode was brought in early on the highly confidential project to join the initial planning. They collaborated to provide the specific resources needed to build anticipation for this important new relationship between Klaus and the CSO. This included providing creative direction for CSO Photographer Todd Rosenberg who would film the artist’s interview, bringing the existing web designs from Material+ to life through animation, and developing a storytelling strategy capable of achieving the CSOA’s Marketing Team’s goals.
“We realized Klaus Mäkelä’s heartfelt enthusiasm for what makes the CSO unique could also be an opportunity for him to shine the spotlight deftly back at his new and talented partner, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.”
“Your guidance and direction pushed things in a way for the video that made something special. You and your team create wonderful content.”
Mode Project was able to meet the rest of the combined team where they are, providing the specific resources needed to complete the collaboration, including all manner of post-production and platform versioning of the story in order to reach CSO audiences wherever they could be found.
Mode’s long-standing partnership with the CSO also includes an award-winning 7 episode content series and continues forward through the inclusive series “We All Belong Here,” currently in production.
