Five Ones infinite loading animationFour orange forms reveal in sequence, followed by a grey diagonal stroke. The animation fades and repeats continuously.

From Empty Seats to Full Houses

Category

Arts & Culture Marketing

Client

Virginia Chamber Orchestra

Service

Pro-Bono Marketing Partnership

Scope

Season Strategy, Creative Direction, Social & Email

Giving a rebranded orchestra its marketing voice

The Virginia Chamber Orchestra had a fresh brand and a part-time Executive Director — but no marketing infrastructure to match their ambition. When COVID paused their season, it created an unexpected opportunity. As a board member, Julia McDowell stepped in to build a marketing strategy from the ground up, partnering with Five Ones Creative Director Eva to bring the brand fully to life. The result was "A Season of Storytelling" — a unifying season theme with individual creative identities for all five concerts, supported by targeted social and email campaigns designed to grow new audiences in Northern Virginia.

499% more people in the seats

The proof is in the attendance. For the season's marquee event — Love Notes, a Valentine's Day evening with internationally renowned pianist Thomas Pandolfi at Capital One Hall — the audience grew nearly 500% over the prior year. The season's other concerts showed similar momentum.

Five Ones is a creative collaborative that delivers strategic guidance and exceptional execution for nonprofits and associations that need visionary leadership and marketing momentum.

Services

© 2026 FiveOnes

Delivered to your inbox every second Monday of the month, the #marketing #motivation e-news is a quick roundup of top marketing tips for anyone who wants to accelerate their personal and professional growth.