Anagram’s vivacious identity for Out of Office looks to comic books for typographic inspiration

Found in Melia Hotels’ locations around the world, Out of Office (or OOO for short) are a series of co-working spaces designed for locals and tourists alike. Positioned as ‘The Workplace Escape,’ OOO spaces are intended to feel far removed from the constraints of a conventional office environment; instead favouring a relaxing, fluid setting in which visitors can lose themselves and recharge.

This feeling is, first and foremost, conveyed in the name itself – referencing the moment you turn on your ‘Out of Office’ email and sign off for the day, week or foreseeable future. Building on this concept in OOO’s visual identity, London-based creative studio Anagram aimed to dial up the feeling of freedom through a playful approach to typography and messaging.

The wider ‘Breit’ cut of Klim’s sans serif Söhne leads the way, providing the identity with friendly yet spontaneous energy and confidence, particularly in motion. “We wanted to keep the identity pretty simple,” Creative Partner Matt Partis tells us, “using just a few elements that individually work hard.” This approach allows the brand’s charming tone of voice to shine, as well as its superhero-inspired logomark. “The fonts add oomph when used at scale,” Partis adds, reminiscent of onomatopoeic words in comics.

Typography isn’t the only thing going for OOO’s identity, however, with Anagram injecting closely cropped photography and vivid colour alongside it. “Close cropping the photography was a smart way to help the new brand own imagery, especially when budgets didn’t allow for big shoots,” Partis reveals, adding that the drama-inducing framing within comic strips also provided them with inspiration. Despite the vibrancy of the photography, he explains that they “still felt a signature colour was needed to create a connection from location to location,” leading to the brand’s bold purple. “Purple has this magical, mystical spirit, which fits well with the idea of escapism and cuts through a lot of the other brands in the sector,” Partis concludes.

Anagram