As a strategist and curator for Studio Simkin, I developed an editorial system that expanded the brand’s reach to 1 million monthly views. By decoding the visual codes of their audience and implementing a high-fidelity curation strategy, we transformed their social presence into a primary media channel that drives deep interaction and industry influence.
___________________________

CREDITS
Strategic Narrative & Editorial Direction: Jon Jacobsen | Executive Performance: Daniil Simkin |
Principal Photography: Mariam Medvedeva | Videos courtesy of The Joyce Theater | Graphic Design: Dirk König

As a strategist and curator for Studio Simkin, I developed an editorial system that expanded the brand’s reach to 1 million monthly views. By decoding the visual codes of their audience and implementing a high-fidelity curation strategy, we transformed their social presence into a primary media channel that drives deep interaction and industry influence.
___________________________

CREDITS
Strategic Narrative & Editorial Direction: Jon Jacobsen | Executive Performance: Daniil Simkin |
Principal Photography: Mariam Medvedeva | Videos courtesy of The Joyce Theater | Graphic Design: Dirk König

PHASE 1: THE FRICTION
EDITORIAL GAPS & BRAND PERCEPTION

The challenge at Studio Simkin was not a lack of aesthetic quality, but a systemic reliance on documentation. While the existing editorial direction was sophisticated, the digital presence functioned as a reactive record of events rather than an intentional design of the brand’s reputation. The friction existed in the slight but vital gap between recording what the company did and defining how the company differentiates from the rest of the competitors.

PHASE 1

THE FRICTION
EDITORIAL GAPS & BRAND PERCEPTION

The challenge at Studio Simkin was not a lack of aesthetic quality, but a systemic reliance on documentation. While the existing editorial direction was sophisticated, the digital presence functioned as a reactive record of events rather than an intentional design of the brand’s reputation. The friction existed in the slight but vital gap between recording what the company did and defining how the company differentiates from the rest of the competitors.

PHASE 2: COMPETITOR DIAGNOSTIC
An audit of over 30 global dance companies revealed a persistent pattern of treating social media as a secondary broadcast channel. Most institutions fall into a documentary trap, flooding feeds with archival footage and digital posters that prioritize information over immersion.

The findings identified three critical failures in the industry:
1. Broadcast Bias: Using social platforms as a one-way TV channel for ads and trailers.
2. Technical Trap: Focusing on the technical facts of a performance rather than the feeling of the artistic world.
3. Aesthetic Saturation: Relying on generic tropes that fail to establish a unique philosophical position.

PHASE 2

COMPETITOR DIAGNOSTIC
An audit of over 30 global dance companies revealed a persistent pattern of treating social media as a secondary broadcast channel.
Most institutions fall into a documentary trap, flooding feeds with archival footage and digital posters that prioritize information over immersion.

The findings identified three critical failures in the industry:

1. Broadcast Bias
Using social platforms as a one-way TV channel for ads and trailers.

2. Technical Trap
Focusing on the technical facts of a performance rather than the feeling of the artistic world.

3. Aesthetic Saturation 
Relying on generic tropes that fail to establish a unique philosophical position.

PHASE 3: DEVELOPING BRAND PERSONA
NARRATIVE FREQUENCY AND ENGAGEMENT

Once the 5P Framework was developed,We moved the brand away from a corporate entity toward a distinct, authoritative persona. This voice does not beg for attention; it commands it through restraint.

Brand Voice Rules
Authoritative & Minimal: We stripped away exclamation marks, hype language, and ballet clichés like "defying gravity."
Intimate & Devotional: The tone is close and observant, treating the work as a sacred discipline rather than a theatrical display.
Elevated & Calm: Even when handling community interaction or criticism, the persona remains philosophical and unshakable.

The Engagement Loop
Beyond the captions, we turned audience interaction into a status-driven system. By re-contextualizing raw audience stories with high-fidelity typographic overlays, we integrated the community into the brand’s sophisticated visual world. This created a loyalty loop where followers began producing higher-quality content to match the Studio’s standard.

PHASE 3

DEVELOPING BRAND PERSONA
NARRATIVE FREQUENCY AND ENGAGEMENT

Once the 5P Framework was developed,We moved the brand away from a corporate entity toward a distinct, authoritative persona. This voice does not beg for attention; it commands it through restraint.

Brand Voice Rules
Authoritative & Minimal
We stripped away exclamation marks, hype language, and ballet clichés like "defying gravity."

Intimate & Devotional
The tone is close and observant, treating the work as a sacred discipline rather than a theatrical display.

Elevated & Calm
Even when handling community interaction or criticism, the persona remains philosophical and unshakable.


EXTRA
The Engagement Loop
Beyond the captions, we turned audience interaction into a status-driven system. By re-contextualizing raw audience stories with high-fidelity typographic overlays, we integrated the community into the brand’s sophisticated visual world. This created a loyalty loop where followers began producing higher-quality content to match the Studio’s standard.

PHASE 3: EDITORIAL DIRECTION & POSITIONING
To move beyond spectacle, we implemented a grid architecture rooted in high-contrast, long-exposure, chiaroscuro imagery to complement press imagery. We decided to stop hiding the cost of the craft. The editorial direction shifted to showcase the grit often edited out of ballet: dancers resting among cables, cramped corridors, and the physical weight of mastery.

Content Pillars & Narrative Sequencing
We organized the Instagram grid into a narrative sequence that mirrors the physical journey of the artist:
The Ritual: Details of the solitary preparation of the body.
The Rehearsal: Raw technical grueling space between breaths and sweat.
The Transcendence: The final performance, framed from an editorial eye by briefing fashion photographers capturing the hard-earned offering of each show.
The Philosophy: Authoritative statements that replace sentimentality with devotion and present an often hidden side of the ballet world.

PHASE 4

EDITORIAL DIRECTION & POSITIONING
To move beyond spectacle, we implemented a grid architecture rooted in high-contrast, long-exposure, chiaroscuro imagery to complement press imagery. We decided to stop hiding the cost of the craft. The editorial direction shifted to showcase the grit often edited out of ballet: dancers resting among cables, cramped corridors, and the physical weight of mastery.

Content Pillars & Narrative Sequencing
We organized the Instagram grid into a narrative sequence that mirrors the physical journey of the artist:

The Ritual
Details of the solitary preparation of the body.

The Rehearsal
Raw technical grueling space between breaths and sweat.

The Transcendence
The final performance, framed from an editorial eye by briefing fashion photographers capturing the hard-earned offering of each show.

The Philosophy
Authoritative statements that replace sentimentality with devotion and present an often hidden side of the ballet world.

EXTRA: THE 'NO HALF TURNS' SERIES
STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT & AUDIENCE INTELLIGENCE

This series was designed to bridge the gap between the audience’s intimate lens and institutional curation. By securing permission to repurpose raw community footage, we developed a high-fidelity series that documented the performance through the eyes of those experiencing it for the first time.

We integrated these community perspectives with specifically briefed content at The Joyce Theater, prioritizing intimacy and detail over traditional static footage. This initiative functioned as an intelligence tool, providing the Studio with direct insights into which moments achieved the highest emotional resonance and organic engagement.

To this day, the series remain one of the most viewed content on Studio Simkin's Instagram.

EXTRA: THE 'NO HALF TURNS' SERIES
STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT & AUDIENCE INTELLIGENCE

This series was designed to bridge the gap between the audience’s intimate lens and institutional curation. By securing permission to repurpose raw community footage, we developed a high-fidelity series that documented the performance through the eyes of those experiencing it for the first time.

We integrated these community perspectives with specifically briefed content at The Joyce Theater, prioritizing intimacy and detail over traditional static footage. This initiative functioned as an intelligence tool, providing the Studio with direct insights into which moments achieved the highest emotional resonance and organic engagement.

To this day, the series remain one of the most viewed content on Studio Simkin's Instagram.

PHASE 5: RESULTS AND ITERATIONS

This structural overhaul transformed Studio Simkin from a ballet company into a cultural lighthouse. By designing the perception of the world rather than just documenting the dance, we achieved:

Scale: Over 1 Million organic monthly views during the first month of campaign.
Commercial Conversion: A spike in high-intent engagement leading directly to Joyce Theater ticket sales.
Sovereignty: The successful establishment of Studio Simkin as an independent artistic entity.

PHASE 5: RESULTS AND ITERATIONS

This structural overhaul transformed Studio Simkin from a ballet company into a cultural lighthouse. By designing the perception of the world rather than just documenting the dance, we achieved:

Scale
Over 1 Million organic monthly views during the first month of campaign.

Commercial Conversion
A spike in high-intent engagement leading directly to Joyce Theater ticket sales.

Sovereignty
The successful establishment of Studio Simkin as an independent artistic entity.

STUDIO SIMKIN

STUDIO SIMKIN

Strategic Narrative & Editorial Direction: Jon Jacobsen
Executive Performance: Daniil Simkin 
Principal Photography: Mariam Medvedeva
Videos courtesy of The Joyce Theater
Graphic Design: Dirk König

Visual Art Direction & Campaign Film by Jon Jacobsen
Featuring: Poppy, Amanda Lepore, Sara Cummings, ClermontTwins, Jeana Turner, Cheeky,
Raisa Thomas, Susanne Bartsch, Nykhor Paul.
Make Up concept by Ryan Burke, Assisted by Kreative Kommune
Hair by Prema, led by Dale Delaporte in collaboration with Charlie Le Mindu; Gonn Kinoshita
Runway live conceptual Synthesizer composition and film music by
Gavin Rayna Russom (LCD Soundsystem)

© 2005 -2025  Jon Jacobsen. All rights reserved. Website made with Semplice

© 2000-2024  Jon Jacobsen. Website designed by Jon Jacobsen using Semplice