TBWA – The Disruption Company today unveiled a new visual identity created by DXD, its global design discipline. The new identity marks the next chapter of the TBWA Collective through “a richer, more human visual language,” according to the company.
TBWA’s new identity reflects a stronger Collective, bringing together agencies including TBWA\Chiat\Day, adam&eveTBWA, TBWA\Media Arts Lab, TBWA\HAKUHODO, LOLA and Africa, among others. The company said that 20% of the system is left open, giving every market the freedom to bring its own local flavour.
“Our job isn’t to create assets,” said Bruno Regalo, Chief Design Officer, TBWA\Worldwide and Head of DXD. “It’s to build visual systems so distinctive that people recognize the brand before they ever see its logo. That’s what we call a brand’s Visual Brand Soul.”
“In our industry, now more than ever, we have to practice what we preach: great brand platforms come to life through culture-fluid thinking and design-led principles applied across the ecosystem,” said Peter Khoury, Chief Creative Officer, TBWA\Singapore, and Regional Chief Creative Officer, Omnicom Advertising Asia.
“That’s why we consistently take the time and space to revisit our own brand and how we show up across the globe. Our refreshed TBWA visual ID is modular, simple, crafted and organic. DXD are masters of stripping a brand down and interrogating it until it confesses its truth, its essence. As the Disruption Company, this new visual ID shows a global brand connected to the streets, to the culture each office lives within and the local flair customisation brings, amplified by global presence.”
DXD is one of the industry’s first global design disciplines embedded within a creative agency network, according to the release.
The design studio is led by Regalo and builds identities, experiences and visual systems for clients including Disney+, Gatorade, Levi’s, Tiffany & Co., TikTok and The Grammys.
The new identity
TBWA provided the following outline of the new visual identity
Evidence of Making
Hand-crafted iconography, expressive brushwork and intentionally imperfect finishes celebrate the evidence of the human hand. Inspired by art as a reference to Disruption, ink drops, spray, pen strokes and handwritten words create a visual counterpoint to elegant order.
Heritage Reclaimed
Serif typography returns alongside a new monogram, crafted by hand and refined digitally through the angles of TBWA’s iconic backslash. Together, they create a timeless expression that reflects the rigour, sophistication and craft behind the Collective.
An Analog World
The iconic TBWA yellow is joined by ‘Analog’ – a new colour inspired by stationery paper, vintage envelopes and Leica photography. Paired with a new photography approach, posed photos are replaced by takes of real moments, in motion, to reveal the authentic human.
Built for a Collective
20% of the system is left open, giving every market the freedom to bring its own local flavour. Bespoke backslashes and passport-inspired city stamps celebrate the history and diversity of the Collective while strengthening one shared visual language.
The Pirate Spirit
As a tribute to one of TBWA’s most enduring references, DXD honours the pirate universe through hand-crafted iconography inspired by Steve Jobs’ famous line: “Why join the navy when you can be a pirate?”. It’s a reminder that a healthy disrespect for convention has always been part of the Collective’s DNA.
