Background:

Underground dance music parties have filled the floors of concert venues, nightclubs, and abandoned warehouses in Philadelphia for decades. Subsurface, founded in 2018, has grown to become an integral part of this rich subculture. They have held over 50 events, hosted shows headlined by iconic DJs from all over the world, and collaborated with brands such as Boiler Room.

Challenge:

Subsurface, a name literally synonymous with underground, needed a brand identity that spoke to the “hush-hush” nature of the events that they host.

Solution:

Andiamo Studio was hired to develop a brand identity that captured Subsurface’s aura, stood out in a loud market, all while remaining below the radar outside of that market. The logo features a rectangle that represents a redaction, like you might see on a classified document, with “sub” peeking out below the redaction, and “surface” above it. In addition to the logo, Andiamo Studio developed a visual communication system for their event flyers and marketing materials. Since the branding effort, Subsurface has grown to become a market leader and industry fixture in the region.