In early 2009, global web services business AOL announced its departure from parent company Time Warner. Still under the name of AOL, the new independent business would offer online content, products and services for consumers, publishers and advertisers. AOL asked us to help it reach out to new audiences, stay relevant to existing customers, and create a brand for a 21st-century media company.

AOL's CEO, Tim Armstrong, defined a new mission: to inform, entertain and connect the world – not with more of the same but with extraordinary content and product experiences. The key objective was to develop a brand identity that expresses this mission.

AOL's new identity launched in December 2009 and immediately made an impact with research firm YouGov listing it as one of its top five gainers on their December brand index. Beyond the identity, AOL is making its new brand real through driving innovation through their product and content experiences to AOL’s 250 million users worldwide. Through its new Brand Identity, AOL has transitioned from a company known only for access, and revealed its new mission to deliver world class experiences in the new world of content – and is ready to disrupt the whole media industry.

The new identity separates AOL from other media businesses and embraces the fragmented, non-linear online world. It's creatively fluid and flexible, and the name ‘AOL' is revealed through ever-changing image and video experiences. Some of the world's best creative artists, including Universal Everything, GHAVA and Dylan Griffin, created art and animations for the brand. The new brand identity raises the bar for AOL to present new innovations and new content experiences to the world.