M.AD School of Ideas (f.k.a. Miami Ad School) is celebrating more than a quarter century with the rollout of a new brand strategy and expression by COLLINS. The institution was started in 1993 by Pippa and Ron Seichrist, who invented the school they wished they’d gone to. As creative directors themselves, they set out to create a model for learning that brought together creative education and real-world experience with agencies and companies. M.AD now is a global network with 15 schools around the world from Berlin to Buenos Aires, offering programs in Art Direction, Copywriting, Creative Technology, Design, Photo & Video, Social Strategy, Strategic Planning, and UX Design.
At the same time, understanding that education is never static, M.AD was ready to evolve. They invited COLLINS to define their brand strategy, and reimagine their mission, their brand, and the visual expression as part of an effort, says Brian Collins, “to respect and anticipate the future.” In developing a new strategy, COLLINS recognized M.AD School of Ideas as a place where resilience of imagination flourishes, where a lifelong journey of finding and expressing your voice is set in motion, and where “unconventional minds” are nurtured.
To bring these ideas to life, the design team created an M.AD / M-dot mark. The “M”: a fluid form constantly changing and recreating itself. And the “dot”: an always present, steadfast counterpoint. Never without each other, they are said to form a constant interplay between passion and discipline, optimism and rigor, out-of-the-box thinking and the craft needed to make it real. To support the new mark, a color strategy builds upon the vibrant pink M.AD is recognized for and is a nod to its Miami roots. Hank Richardson, AIGA Fellow and longtime educator at The Portfolio Center in Atlanta (now M.AD Atlanta), notes that the rebrand has been a year in the making and is “smart, flexible, a bit audacious, sassy and is truly redefining, looking toward a new perspective for education paying forward.”
Creative credits go to Zuzanna Rogatty, Niamh Walsh, Tomas Markevicius, Aran Quinn, Eric Park, Christine Takaichi, Dashiell Alison, Madeleine Carrucan, and TJ Dumser. Collaborators at the client are Pippa Seichrist and Hank Richardson. Photography by Mari Juliano, Theo Livaudais, and Kristine Lim.
