Sundance has revealed a new logo and its first full brand identity for long-term use that pays tribute to the standard cinematic widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9. Within the wider branding system, it serves as a framing device, like the big screen itself, framing footage and stills from the festival archive. Designed by New York creative agency Porto Rocha, the new logo is one part of the Sundance Film Festival’s long-term brand identity.
Though the festival has been running in Utah since 1978, each event has had its own identity, with no continuity from one to another, problematic when faced with the quantity of assets and year-round communication the festival deals with today. The festival decided it needed a more permanent identity to cover all assets and also reinforce public recognition of the annual event.
“The identity needed to represent a legacy as well as a forward-looking ethos — at once timeless and contemporary,” Porto Rocha says. “To do this, we developed a brand language that — just like the festival — supports all kinds of stories.”
Other elements of the brand system include Monument Grotesk typography, which is intended to be neutral enough to fit diverse genres and titles. Meanwhile, compositions take inspiration from the seriality of film strip cells, while motion behaviors seamlessly support footage and guide audiences through the brand universe. A tagline centering independent artists — “All Eyes on Independents” — brings new perspectives into focus.
