2024 - 2025 Broadway Musical Logos: Just In Time

Is it possible for an advertising campaign to sell the star of the show at the expense of the show itself? The people behind the show art for the new bio-musical Just In Time may have done just that.

2024 - 2025 Broadway Musical Logos:

Just In Time

The best version of this logo is the one above. Why? Because it actually features the show's title prominently. And it gives somewhat equal prominence to the show's star in character. Of course, who knows what character he's playing?  We know from press for the show that Bobby Darin is the subject of the show, but the title gives no such clue. You'd have to be a serious Darin fan to know that "Just in Time" was a deep cut in his hit catalog. (For the record - no pun intended - it's a fine song from his "The Swinging Side of Bobby Darin", and written by Broadway legends Jule Styne, Betty Comden and Adolph Green for the musical Bells Are Ringing.) Actually, if you look up that song, Darin's version isn't among those listed as a "prominent recording."

Still the presentation of the title as a matchbook cover in a nicely contrasting beige and maroon, It's font feels very "late 50s-early 60s night club," which is perfect if you know that the show takes place in a late 50s-early 60s night club. The suit and hat that Jonathan Groff is wearing is reminiscent of the same period, but also looks modern to my eye.

The full logo (above) is a vibrant, eye-catching blue with striking white lettering, both a plus for getting the ticket-buying public to pay attention to it. And if you are a Groff fan, it certainly will peak your interest. Oddly, the "is" is such a bad choice - it is hard to read - and the "Bobby Darin" is so significantly smaller that it seems like an afterthought. Is this a Jonathan Groff concert on Broadway (like the Ben Platt thing earlier this season)? If you look close enough to see the "Bobby Darin," you might think he's doing a concert of his songs. Of course, that presupposes that you even know who Darin was.

So far, it seems to be doing well, but what happens when all of his fans have filled the Circle In the Square, and all of the Boomers have seen it? Will a Darin show named after an unknown song title have any staying power?

As far as logos go, this is the rare one that looks terrific, but is a failure in its main purpose: to sell the show. I had to do a fair amount of research just to write what I did. Does the average ticket buyer have that kind of time or interest?

Grade: D-