"Vision and Voice": Warner Music Group reveals new visual identity
Warner Music Group (WMG) decided to reimagine and redesign its brand identity through a meaningful collaboration with Pentagram. This makeover aimed to unify WMG’s diverse business operations under a contemporary and cohesive visual identity.
As a stalwart in the music entertainment industry, WMG oversees a vast array of labels and represents iconic songwriters and has so many different aspects as a company, from recording, publishing to streaming, and more. Pentagram was called upon to face the challenge of dissecting all these different facets and ‘create an overarching strategic position and brand identity with a new visual language to amplify its status as a next-generation music entertainment company while paying tribute to its heritage’.
Through research and interviews, Pentagram found out that WMG is perceived as ‘an “independent major” — a global powerhouse that retains the spirit of a nimble up-and-comer’. That is how they came up with the "Vision and Voice" concept that encapsulates the company’s vision and versatility, moving between authenticity, diversity, “unity and individuality,” “foresight and presence,” “intuition and passion,” and “head and heart”.
More specifically and design-wise, the key point of the rebranding was the iconic W logo. Pentagram updated the blue tone of the classic W logo created by Saul Bass in 1972 to a stronger, darker tint. The lines in the logo's 67-degree angle became a central theme, ‘symbolizing WMG's unique perspective in the industry’. This design feature was included into WMG's marketing materials, social media accounts, and website with ease.
Also, two custom typefaces, WMG Dazzed and Dazzed 67, were created in close collaboration with the typefoundry Displaay. Both typefaces highlight the unique 67-degree angle and capture the essence of WMG's vision, ‘celebrating individuality, identity, and creative freedom’.
It is evident that the revitalized identity marks a bold step forward for WMG, establishing the company as a leader in creativity and innovation in the ever-changing music industry.
Find out more about the rebrand here.
Tags/ typography, logo, rebranding, bespoke typeface, pentragram
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