Into the future: JOAN Creative’s glinting rebrand readies the agency for its fresh new journey

When Freyja began untangling the many strands of inspiration that lie at the heart of the agency, there were a lot of ideas to dig into. Firstly, there was the case of the Joans. “There were many stories I wanted to tell through this project – primarily, to honour the many Joans the firm is named after, including Didion, Jett, Miro, Smalls, Armatrading, and of course, Joan of Arc. Their relentless commitment to their creativity inspires us every day.” Secondly, the rebrand also had to capture the agency’s fierce and daring spirit which helps them tackle new challenges through their work.

The founders, though, didn’t want to update the wordmark at first, especially because the previous edition felt too close to heart to change. “The previous logo referenced Joan of Arc’s sword, which was particularly important to them,” notes Freyja. So, in making the case for a fresh wordmark, the team ensured to craft a form that honoured this legacy. The updated version keeps the sharpness of the letterforms, including its subtle references to a sword, but pushes the letters closer together to overlap each other, and injects it with a bit of personality, felt in the slant of the ‘J’ and ‘A.’ “The moment they saw it, they knew it was the one and that changing the logo was, in fact, a good idea!” shares Freyja.

The team also decided to wash the identity in a silver metallic finish, to hint at the strength of the female-founded agency. “We wanted to acknowledge the personality traits required to make it in the industry as women, particularly in the major cities we work in, New York and London. And so we leaned on a liquid metallic treatment to represent this,” says Freyja. “On one hand, it’s a reference to Joan of Arc’s sword, but moreover, it symbolises the team’s ability to evolve and go with the flow, while also being strong and durable. As women, we want to lead with compassion and openness, while knowing when to be strong and believe in our vision.”

To round out the new look, the custom wordmark is supported by Rules by Blaze Type, which is not “too Swiss or sterile, but ultimately, very easy to read.” The typeface also feels very bold, especially when seen in motion. “This confidence was a great reference to one of our inspirations, Joan Jett,” Freyja tells us. The second supporting typeface, Times Newer Roman from MSCHF, was also a considered choice. “It balances out the identity and gives it a feeling of sophistication. It also references the manuscripts of author and writer Joan Didion, my personal favourite Joan,” Freyja adds. Just as she’d hoped, the rebrand for JOAN Creative – rich in references – has many stories to tell, if only you’re looking closely.

JOAN Creative