DIA utilise character and concept to kinetically unify Mailchimp’s identity and digital presence

Brought in to enliven, animate and unify Mailchimp's identity, NYC and Geneva-based design studio DIA have evolved the internationally-operating marketing platform’s brand; in doing so implementing a comprehensive, cohesive and characterful kinetic system. Allowing Mailchimp to internally and externally implement their lively creative output like never before. Having reviewed the brand’s existing graphic elements, such as their punchy colour palette, charming textural illustrations and iconic ‘Freddie’ logo, DIA also noted the limitations the identity possessed, including a lack of scalability for digital assets, video production, advertisements and social media. Working within and across these areas, DIA developed an innate flexibility and variability for Mailchimp’s digital output – conceptually addressing the disconnect between the brand’s output and its offering by allowing the virtual to inform the physical. “Our main objective was to convert some existing assets into a scalable system that works in functional brand touchpoints and all motion assets,” Partner & Creative Director Mitch Paone tells us, “not just marketing and print,” he adds, noting the production issues and unintentional disregard for the original illustration and art direction. “We focused on building the system out of the most foundational elements around the logo,” Paone explains, touching on the logo’s outlined form, the colours used and the implementation of typography. The result is a bouncy, vibrant and memorable character and personality; dexterously balancing function and expression.