The Natural History Museum in London is one of the UK’s most popular indoor attractions, and as it approached its 150th anniversary, it aimed to rebrand itself. The museum sought to create an identity that would inspire change and engage audiences in its research,entertainment, education, and activism. Let’s delve into the journey that led to the creation of the Natural History Museum’s revitalized identity and its mission to inspire change.
Source: www.pentagram.com
A Ripple Effect of Change
The new branding for the Natural History Museum has a central concept focused on moving ‘from passive catalog to inspiring catalyst’ for change. At the heart of this is a new circular symbol representing planet Earth and the connections within nature.
Source: www.pentagram.com
Designed by Pentagram and Nomad, and Heavenly, the contemporary identity embodies the collective energy and positivity of the museum’s mission to inspire action on the climate crisis.
Dynamic New Visual Identity
At the heart of the rebrand is a dynamic logo featuring the museum’s initials NHM in a ripple formation, pulsating outwards like a sunburst. The organic shape and responsive motion represent the interconnections in nature and the museum’s role as a catalyst for change. Paired with a vibrant new color palette and bespoke typeface, the identity is contemporary yet accessible.
Brand Logic and Color Palette
The team defined the brand logic with the symbol working in combination for all of the museum sites, including South Kensington, Tring, and Harwell. The brand palette has a broad and energetic combination of colors to reflect the diversity in nature and life. It invites audiences of all backgrounds and origins to participate and enjoy its activities. The color combinations are vibrant and optimistic but can also be calm and authoritative, allowing the museum to flex between its multiple activities and voices.
Source: www.pentagram.com
Typography and Motion
The new custom typeface created by Displaay Type Foundry is friendly, straightforward, and confident, reflecting a brand that is accessible and inclusive. The identity needed to be accessible, friendly, and democratic, and it also needed to work in uppercase on the symbol as well as in mixed case for text, headlines, and even the word mark itself. The new typeface NHM Wallop, a custom version of Displaay’s Wallop, is right on all those dimensions and will not go out of fashion, making it timeless.
As the museum marks its 150th anniversary, the rebrand aims to engage audiences from research to activism. The dynamic identity is a visual representation of the museum’s ambitious mission. By inspiring action on issues like the climate crisis, the new branding moves the institution from passive to active in safeguarding the planet.
The Natural History Museum’s new visual identity signifies an important transition for the iconic institution. As it moves beyond its 150th year, the rebrand from Pentagram and Nomad seamlessly connects the museum’s heritage with a bold, forward-thinking mission. Through the dynamic logo, vibrant palette, and responsive motion design, the contemporary identity visualizes the museum’s evolution from passive catalogue to an inspiring catalyst for urgent climate action. By placing nature and activism at its core, the rebrand provides a compelling platform for the museum to captivate existing audiences while engaging new generations of advocates for the planet.
