Sonic Lunch

Since 2008, the free summer concert series has rocked downtown Ann Arbor every Thursday at noon.

Presented by Bank of Ann Arbor, Sonic Lunch’s outdoor stage hosts a diverse lineup of local and national bands, attracting crowds of all ages. We were there from the beginning, naming the event and creating a wide variety of materials to support it. And every year, we get the band back together and create a totally refreshed design.

BRAND BACKSTORY

Striking the right chord.

We have to hand it to Bank of Ann Arbor CEO Tim Marshall for this one. Passionate about music and community, Marshall conceived the idea of a bank-sponsored summer concert series. When he proposed the plan in a meeting, bank executives around the table looked at him perplexed. But his idea made total sense..

Sponsoring free summer concerts puts the bank's name in front of thousands of people in a positive, enjoyable context. Every time someone attends a show, they associate Bank of Ann Arbor with fun summer days (and a midday work break) rather than just financial transactions. In addition, sponsoring a local concert series demonstrates the bank’s commitment to the community and helps them stand out from non-local competitors. The ROI isn’t measurable or immediate. But a sponsorship like this has tremendous value in building community goodwill, brand visibility and long-term customer relationships.

Services

Posters
Banners
Print Ads
Outdoor
Naming
Social Media
T-shirts
Stickers
Concert Merch
Logo Design

BRAND ROLLOUT

Making noise.

After Marshall got buy-in with the idea internally, the concert series had to be sold to the people of Ann Arbor, along with potential bands. They came to us to name it. Something fun. Something memorable. Something somewhat descriptive.

Naming things is difficult. How do you pick the best one or two words in the English language to sum up the essence of a brand, product, or in this case, summer concert series? We won’t reveal our secrets, but it’s mainly hard work. When we came up with “Sonic Lunch,” it was so unanimously loved internally, it was the only name we presented to Bank of Ann Arbor. Fortunately, they loved it, too. “Sonic Lunch” captures both the live music and the midday start time, and the unexpected pairing of the two words makes it stick.

The name guided us in designing posters, street banners and promotional lunchboxes to herald Sonic Lunch’s arrival to downtown Ann Arbor. The brand was extended into concert merch including t-shirts and stickers. Sonic Lunch was a hit. And the music plays on. Today, it’s a fixture in the Ann Arbor community. Like a band that records a new album every year, we head back to the (design) studio to create new work for every new season.

In 2008, Sonic Lunch launched its inaugural season, with local musicians including Laith Al-Saadi, who would go on to fame on NBC’s The Voice. Attendance ranged from 60 to 100 people. Over the years, the series has grown into a true destination, adding food trucks and hosting bigger acts like Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, Vance Joy, Darren Criss, Mayer Hawthorne, Los Lobos, War & Treaty, Mike Posner and more. Today, crowds often reach up to 1,000 people, necessitating street closures. It revitalizes Ann Arbor for several weeks in the summer. And gives us a great reason to take long lunches.