Ted Turner’s biography, which inspired Martin and his executive team, became the basis for our approach to re-imagining the brand. Confident simplicity, points of connection, and a forward-leaning stance were all qualities embodied by Ted, which resonated with the executive group, and which we drew upon for inspiration.

But we didn’t want to create new, contemporary design for its own sake, or lose great pre-existing design elements, just for the sake of change. Rather, all creative ideation came from asking how best to represent the soul of the organization, and pull Ted’s pioneering attitude forward into the present and future.

Executed correctly, the new design could be a beacon of Turner’s future of more fun and less fear. But as big believers ourselves in the brand’s maverick spirit, we challenged each other to build a brand essence that wasn’t just right, but perfect.

Throughout the process, our anthropology team continually provided critical insights to guide our work, and create new Brand Essence, brought to life though a thrilling brand sizzle film. This film served as our mantra, a rallying cry for the entire organization that would inform all creative, starting with the logo as the single most important symbol of our new era.

The logo became the shining example of our success. The line and dot was inspired by marks of Turner’s past, that we embraced heritage while pushing it forward. The new Turner blue was also important as it embodies the unwavering maverick spirit, as well as the blue-sky creative possibilities within every moment.

We continued to develop the iconography in other areas like marketing and environmental design, working across both areas in parallel to arrive at a fully processed, cohesive expression of the brand.

The design has become a beacon for a future that the people at Turner can believe in- a company that is not stale and born out of safe choices, but one that is born out of forward thinking and risk. It’s a reminder for everyone to have more fun and less fear, and that’s exactly what the employees are doing—thinking about how they can personally make a difference in the company and not being afraid to voice their ideas. From the outside, the design once again establishes Turner as a modern, global, iconic brand, where Ted Turner’s pioneering spirit is alive and well.