Upgrade a 5-centuries-old company for a contemporary touch
St John's College Undergoes a Vibrant Rebrand
St John's College, a prestigious institution with a rich heritage, has undergone a transformative rebranding, led by the branding agency SomeOne. The rebrand aims to modernize the College's image while maintaining its historical significance.
The rebrand strategy includes flexible assets and motion design that capture a dynamic, contemporary energy. At its core is an impactful video, expansive typography, and a new bespoke monogram. The black and white color scheme brings a strong sense of class, confidence, and authority to the new identity.
The rebranding process began with an analysis of the College's archives and tangible structures across its grounds. This exploration led the team to discover a contemporary, open appeal to the space, which inspired the overarching warmth and modernity of the new brand.
The new identity features a polished crest, an authoritative new color scheme, and a bespoke monogram. The GT Ultra typeface was chosen, as it bridges the worlds of serif and sans with its artful blend of calligraphic forms and structured detail. A bespoke monogram was created, based on the floor plan of Second Court, and serves as a design grid used across print and digital media.
The key components of the iconic crest were refined by illustrator Anthony Millard, creating detailed and simplified versions for a flexible identity. The new typography weaves in a contemporary flair, inspired by etched lettering, court markings, and historical typography found throughout the College grounds.
Simon Manchipp, founding partner at SomeOne, emphasizes that branding an institution like St John's is like rebranding fire, highlighting the importance of showing its relevance and impact.
Notable examples of refined rebrands include Dunkin', Pizza Hut, Instagram, Burberry, Coca-Cola, and Patagonia. These brands made impactful but subtle updates rather than radical overhauls, preserving heritage while refreshing the brand experience. The best refined rebrands preserve core brand elements for immediate recognition and emotional connection, modernize visuals and messaging to engage contemporary audiences, and incorporate authentic values and purpose to deepen loyalty.
The rebrand of St John's College sets itself apart due to a commitment to a core idea and a single-minded belief to make things compelling for new audiences. For daily design news, reviews, how-tos, and more, subscribe to the Creative Bloq Newsletter.
- The modernization of St John's College's image is spearheaded by an extensive use of flexibly adjustable assets and motion design.
- SomeOne, the branding agency, selected the GT Ultra typeface for its ability to fuse calligraphic forms and structured detail, bridging the gap between serif and sans-serif typography.
- The polished crest and bespoke monogram, created by illustrator Anthony Millard, feature detailed yet simplified versions to ensure a flexible identity for the College.
- The new identity draws inspiration from the College's historical typography, court markings, and the floor plan of Second Court, infusing a contemporary flair into the overall design.
- The rebranding of St John's College includes an impactful video, expansive typography, and a new bespoke monogram, all combining to create a vibrant, updated layout.
- The rebranding effort was influenced by a deep exploration of the College's archives and grounds, which revealed a contemporary, open appeal that inspired the warm and modern feel of the new brand.
- The College's home-and-garden spaces underscore the rebrand's lifestyle focus, helping to connect with contemporary audiences and deepen loyalty, much like the successful rebrands of Dunkin', Pizza Hut, Instagram, Burberry, Coca-Cola, and Patagonia.
