Leading the creative and strategic direction, we crafted a bold, emotionally-driven brand rooted in purpose. The identity combines grassroots spirit with a modern, uplifting aesthetic, designed to reflect both progress and momentum.

The result is a meaningful, future-focused campaign that celebrates 20 years of impact and inspires continued action.

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Spotted in the wild

Our client, Sendtric’s, embeddable countdown timers adding urgency to Google’s latest comms. If being trusted by Google isn’t great social proof, I don’t know what is!

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Former digital editor at 032c, Cassidy is a Berlin-based freelance culture writer who has contributed features to over 25 leading global publications, including The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vogue, GQ, and Vice.

Personal Branding & Portfolio Website

As part of our brief to support Cassidy George with her personal brand awareness and digital visibility strategy, we created a stunning new portfolio site to set the tone. The website is built using the flexible WordPress content management system, which allows Cassidy to easily and freely upload and link to her latest work.

One of the main goals of the website was to showcase her writing in a clean and modern way, and we think that the finished experience does just that. The monochrome colour scheme reflects the high-impact nature of her journalism, and gives a nod to the traditional black and white print roots of the publications she has written for – including the BBC, Vogue, Vice, and Dazed. This is infused with a vibrant and contrasting lime colour to create visual interest and encourage visitors to take further steps and delve deeper into her content.

Website Optimisation & Marketing Support

A well-designed website is a powerful tool that can be leveraged to attract new readers and clients, but it’s only effective if people can actually find it! That’s why we’re implementing a long-term search engine optimisation (SEO) and digital PR strategy to raise awareness of Cassidy’s work. By using carefully selected keywords and other optimisation techniques to improve the site’s ranking, we will make her award-winning contributions more visible online and reach new audiences to build a stronger platform for her writing. We’re confident that this strategy will pay off in the long run, and we’re excited to see what the future holds for Cassidy’s career.

Optimise Your Online Presence

Your brand is the heart and soul of your business, and it should be reflected in every aspect of your online presence. That’s why we offer a comprehensive suite of services designed to help you maximise your brand’s potential. Whether you need help with your social media strategy, crafting effective content, or optimising your website for search engines, the team at Toni Marino can provide the support you need to achieve your goals. Give us a call and find out how we can help take your business to the next level.

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When you think of iconic automobile badges, many will undoubtably spring to mind. Such as Audi’s four interlinking circles; Volkswagen’s ‘V’ over ‘W’ circular emblem; Peugeot’s lion; Ferrari’s prancing horse; and of course, Aston Martin’s unmistakable wings. Yet, like most great brands – the logo has evolved over time. Some are even so far from the original, that you’d be forgiven for thinking that you’re looking at two completely different brands – when you compare its first and last brandmark.

Aston Martin’s logo began life back in 1920. And it, like many, was a million miles away from the newly designed emblem. In fact, it looked more like Volkswagen’s badge – it was an interlinking ‘A’ and ‘M’ inside the shape of a circle.

The iconic ‘wings’ logo has been synonymous with Aston Martin since 1927. And it’s only recently undergone its latest iteration, with the previous being created in 2003. Including the latest wings motif – by prolific designer and art director, Peter Saville – and over the last 100 years, Aston Martin’s wings have seen seven updates.

Simplicity (and subtlety) is a sign of the times.

Like so many brandmarks these days – less is more. Less is cooler. Less is simply more memorable. Think Nike, Apple, Starbucks, Disney, Shell, Amazon, Ikea… even the list is almost end-less. So, it’s no surprise that Aston Martin followed suit. And such a prestigious brand required one of the world’s most sought after brandmark-making designers. Or as Peter Saville, the man himself, humbly describes it:

“Subtle but necessary enhancements not only keep forms fresh, but allow for new technologies, situations and applications to be accommodated in the future.”

wallpaper.com

For numerous brands, the way forward is quite simply – making things simpler.

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Meet Mattia Travaini. Designer and founder of Mavimatt, whose name and company may be new to you (but then they do have an Instagram following of 67.4K). After our impartial chat and obligatory Q&A session you’ll undoubtedly remember the name Mavimatt for a while time to come. A name that, to the lucky few, is quite literally out of this world. After all, they created the gorgeously innovative UFO rocking chair. A chair you can personalise to the finest detail, whether it’s a ‘tennis ball’ or ‘Captain America’s Shield’.

We’re delighted to have teamed up with Mavimatt (to work on their digital marketing with them), who modestly declare that they ‘design and manufacture handcrafted masterpieces’. Quite a statement, but one that is very much deserved. Looking through their website it immediately becomes clear that these guys are out there, way out there, and the UFO underlines that. My first impressions of all of their wonderfully handcrafted products was WOW followed by a few expletives. They’re that good.

So who are these ingenious mavericks of the design world?

Since they were founded in 2013, Mavimatt have been committed to creating unique, handmade furniture and home décor. They are an array of expert artisans that are constantly pushing boundaries with their matchless design, advanced and contemporary technology, and unimaginable ideas – but above all, it’s their undisputed passion for pushing their craft like never before that has put Mavimatt firmly on the map.

Questions

When you’re not designing or making jaw-dropping, cutting-edge, manmade furniture pieces what do you do to chill out?

Like any passionate creative, even when I’m relaxing, I’m thinking about my next project. So I love to sit in my car and travel for hours, observing the different landscapes and shapes that mother nature gives us for nothing.

You refer to your pieces as experiences, for a customer to enjoy. This is a nice way to put it. When a customer sits in the UFO rocking chair, what’s their immediate reaction?

Good question, we have often considered this. As all our products are exported overseas, we’ve never had the pleasure of seeing or hearing our customers’ immediate reaction to the UFO. The only thing I can say is that when they call us, they emphatically tell us how impressed they are; and the novelty and emotion that the UFO brings to their home.

Throughout history there have been designers who’ve inspired new art movements and the way we think about decor – such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Le Corbusier, Arne Jacobson and Charles and Ray Eames – Mavimatt could quite easily sit alongside these guys, unquestionably some of the most ingenious that have ever lived. Would you say, like them, that you’ve managed to turn furniture design on its head?

How can we compare ourselves to such esteemed innovators of their day? We simply try to do our best. Always. We’re just happy that our customers get as excited as we do with our products.

Is your music taste as out-there as your furniture creations?

Good question! I really like street music, it makes you understand that even if you have nothing, if you have a dream and you persevere with it, the sky’s the limit. You just have to believe in yourself. I apply this concept to every project I work on.

Are there any current designers whose work really impresses you? Or is there anyone you’d like to collaborate with?

There are too many to list, each has something unique. I hope that as our passion and career continues we may be able to collaborate with many of the artists we respect and admire.

 This Q&A wouldn’t be complete without chatting about your UFO rocking chair (again, sorry) – which has to be said, is really out of this world. Did you take any inspiration from Arne Jacobsen’s iconic 1960’s Egg Chair?

Honestly? No… it eh, all started from an ashtray.

Which country (or countries) are producing the most groundbreaking furniture right now?

Italy of course. I’m Italian you know haha…

When you were at art school, I presume you went to art school to learn your trade, were you the person making all the brilliant but weird and wacky stuff. And were you inspired to push the boundaries even further?

I have always loved automotive design. When I dream of how I want my work to be received by the customer, I want them to be just as emotional and aesthetically pleased as I am when I think of automotive design.

You have a following of 67.4K followers on Instagram. I knew you were relatively renowned around the world – but that’s a serious amount of followers.

Hey; we put a lot of work into it – starting from scratch – now our efforts are starting to pay off.

Of course, the UFO isn’t your only handcrafted masterpiece. You’ve several awe-inspiring products from the Panama to the Magma. Do you have a favourite and why?

I’m constantly looking for the perfect product. And that’s why we won’t stop creating unique design pieces.

We couldn’t be happier than to team up with the makers of the UFO. OK, it’s not rocket science – there’s probably more to building a Mavimatt UFO than a rocket. Here’s to a website that’s as beautifully crafted as a Mavimatt product.

Here’s to the future guys.

www.mavimatt.com

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Game on. Or perhaps not.

Playstation 4 is sooo last century (almost). It certainly feels that way when you compare the new PS5 with the PS4’s power, graphics, speed, audio and even the console’s jaw-dropping aesthetic beauty. Hey, if you’re an Xboxer, you won’t be for much longer. Well, actually, you will. Not because you’ll be easily converted, but simply because there are not enough PS5 consoles on earth for you to grab your own. Instead, hang on to your PS4 for now and make do with a seriously cool signage stunt at Oxford Circus’ tube station.

I know. It’s almost heart-breaking. The release date for both Xbox and PS5 consoles was November 2020. The title battle was to be tightly fought – or was it? While researching this article I came across some almost implausible statements regarding PS5 sales – but it’s 2020, where anything is plausible – the year that may go down in history as the world’s worst, or at least one of them. I’d missed all the PS5 furore simply because it had been eclipsed by other world events, that were somewhat more concerning.

Bar a number of consoles being reportedly swiped from Amazon (staff were opening the boxes and replacing the console with bags of rice of a similar weight), and major retailers around the world had simply sold out. This didn’t stop the diehards who queued for hours on the release date, Thursday 19 November. Alas they found there was nothing to queue for – if you wanted a PS5 you would have needed to pre-order literally months in advance.

I love Tomsguide.com’s analogy:

‘They have pretty much sold out across the globe; it would be easier to find a needle in a haystack with your arms tied behind your back and a person pelting you with carefully crafted insults about your needle-locating ability, than it is to find a PS5 on sale.’

So at this moment in time it’s near impossible, scratch that, impossible, to pick up a PS5. Does that mean that this the clever PR stunt (installed November 18, to promote the launch the following day) of turning several of London’s iconic circle signs into one of the four Playstation icons (triangle, circle, cross or square), was done in vain? Far from it. After the year we’ve all just endured we needed some cheering up. And this installation does just that – it’s fun, playful, bright and uplifting. It’s also a nice follow on from the launch of the PS4 – the London OXO Tower installation.

By the way if you haven’t yet made the connection with station and play-station… well, anyway. Also, it’s fitting that Oxford Circus has four exits, meaning, you guessed it, we have a square, a triangle, a circle and a cross marking your way out. The fun (which will stay in place for 48hours) isn’t confined to Oxford Circus either. Lip service is paid to some of Playstation’s most loved games at several other stations.

‘Mile End has become Miles End for Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales; Lancaster Gate has become Ratchet and Clankaster Gate for Ratchet & Clank, Horizon Forbidden West Ham is Horizon Forbidden West; and – easily the laziest of the four – Seven Sisters being renamed Gran Turismo 7 Sisters’.

(Emma Tucker – Creative Review)

It’s been a devastatingly tough old year, but at least we get Sony’s brand new PS5 to look forward to. We don’t?

Who said 2020 had its redeeming features?

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The Rolls rebrand. A match made at Pentagram.

Rolls Royce. A gleaming example of the very best of British. Established in 1904 they’re synonymous with success. The epitome of having reached the top. Sure, they’re not everyone’s cup of tea – for their price you could afford a Ferrari or even a Lambo. Like Bentleys, Rolls Royce’s are big, grandiose and as about as stylish as you get. They demand respect. And respect is exactly what they got when RR got a much needed brand upgrade from the equally esteemed and perfectly matched Pentagram.

Led by Pentagram’s impeccable key partner, Marina Willer, didn’t want to go at this one all guns blazing though. She had sutler approach in mind. Much of it was old-hat, dated and far from 21st Century cool. The most dramatic change to the logo was the brand’s emblem, the Spirit of Ecstasy. It undeniably stood for ultimate prestige, now more than ever.

The iconic double ‘R’ has always been associated with Rolls Royce. And it seems to have escaped any rebrand. But compared to previous iterations its clearly been simplified. It’s been delicately finessed, as have other typographical details in the new brand identity.

Anyway, more importantly are the changes made to the Spirit of Ecstasy, which I briefly mentioned before. It has a (and rightfully so) more dominant part to play than the two Rs. Especially as it is the cars unique and unmistakable figure that sits majestically on the car bonnet.

There is no doubt that the Spirit of Ecstasy is the focal point in the rebrand. Considerably more time (or it at least looks that way) has been spent on its subtle restyling. The most obvious update is the way the brandmark faces – it’s been flipped to face forwards, as if looking forward to the future. It faces a whole new digital era and lifestyle.

The lack of detail in favour for a less fussy design of the figure feels cleaner, and more contemporary. Perhaps somewhat stranger is the addition of the base the figure stands on, as if mimicking the outlined shape of an actual car? What’s its purpose? Maybe it suggests a full stop – underlining the ‘new look and feel’ of the brand. As if ‘completing’ the design.

Less attention has been given to the Rolls-Royce wordmark. Is there one? Sure I noticed a subtle hint of difference; did I; do I?

Forget it, google will know – as Creative Review clearly explains

“the new wordmark, which now features angled detailing across the L and E to quietly communicate a sense of movement. The adjustments to the wordmark are based on a historic iteration, and while subtle, now looks less John Lewis and more Liberty”

Ehh OK? Let’s just go with the new wordmark is a tad more stylish and upmarket.

So, after eleven iterations, the truly iconic spirit of the RR monogram lives on. Its now aimed at a younger buyer of around 43 they say. And it’s come quite a long way since sculptor, Charles Robinson Sykes, designed the first ever Spirit of Ecstasy. Amazing to think that this female figurine, and logo for that matter, – both a symbol of wealth, superiority and power – will outlive you or I, it will live on forever.

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The best Creative Director I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with didn’t really care for fonts. He was old school – you know the kind of guy that scamped every idea on a pad before executing it on a Mac (but then he started out when Apple Macs didn’t exist). His thinking – if it never worked as a scamp how in hell would Photoshop do it any justice. To this day, I completely agree with him (sorry all you mac-monkeys out there).

To him, the idea was king, and he couldn’t be bothered with laboriously looking through font suitcases (he’d get an artworker to refine those final details). Nope, he stuck with one font and one font only – Swiss. Admittedly it is a beautiful, no-nonsense sans serif typeface that never seems to date. Will it ever? Swiss is a version of Helvetica. Yup, trusty old Helvetica – invented by Max Miedinger in 1957, and still packing a punch.

But this sleek, modernist typeface isn’t still going strong because of its creator. The person who’s really responsible for Helvetica as it is today is the late, legendary typographer, type designer, type consultant and type historian – Mike Parker. Responsible for over 1000 typefaces, Mike P is has been described as ‘the font god’ and his colleagues called him a ‘shepherd of typography’, who helped guide the type landscape towards digital printing.

With so many weights and styles you can’t really go wrong with Helvetica – it’s the go-to typeface for most Art Directors/Designers (or at least it should be). Helvetica has always been a ubiquitous font – like I said, it’ll never date. I could be wrong, when the world goes serif mad. But that’s never going to happen. The great thing about Helvetica is that it’s so versatile – again due to its numerous weights, widths and sizes.

So what big brands use this typeface – unquestionably the most renowned, famous and iconic font of them all. Before we look at the brands’ whose identity was built on Helvetica, let’s not forget that, due to its clarity and neutrality, it’s seen everywhere – your taxes form is set in Helvetica; government publications use Helvetica; it’s preinstalled into all computers; and it was (unsurprisingly) the font used in the original poster for Mad Men.

OK, now for the brands that use Helvetica. I don’t really know how to talk about this without it sounding mundane and list-like. So I’m going quote something I read while researching this post – it’s from the Guardian online, and yes, being from 2014, it’s dated – but it could still apply today. I’m guessing it’s also aimed at an American audience but I don’t think that matters – it still works for a British one.

Here it is: ‘Today the Helvetica font is ubiquitous, used to spell out major brand identities (Nestlé, Lufthansa, Jeep, Panasonic, Toyota, Skype, Harley Davidson), shop names (American Apparel), public signage (the New York subway system was an early adopter), tech companies (Microsoft, Intel, Apple – current iPhones use the fashionably skinny Helvetica Neue) and self-defeatingly ironic T-shirt slogans (“I hate Helvetica”).’ (theguardian.com)

I just love that endline, but wouldn’t buy the t-shirt – irony or not, Helvetica will always have a place in my heart.

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