MAUD’s modernist identity for Amplitel reflects the reliability of the telecoms company’s network

Previously a sub-brand of the Telstra corporation, Amplitel is Australia’s largest wireless telecommunications company, connecting communities across the country. Priding themselves on the reliability and strength of their network connections, Amplitel sought to embody their confidence and established growth by turning to Sydney and Melbourne-based studio MAUD, resulting in a stoic visual identity. Simple and stark in its approach, the graphic language of the brand exhibits the professionalism and attention to detail of Amplitel’s practice, with the notion of clarity at the core of its application. This tone is boldly encapsulated in the modernist-style logomark at the forefront of the brand, which sees Amplitel’s ‘A’ stylised in directional arrows – a sentiment further denoting the progression of the company and the physical structure of their masts. This structural motif is also implemented in the compositional language of the identity, whereby the arrows in question are flexibly applied across the expanded touchpoints to function as both expressive patterns and pragmatic iconography. This tone is complemented by the utilitarian use of typography, opting for Parachute’s PF DIN Mono and Linotype’s DIN Next Pro as their primary typefaces – providing comprehensive accessibility across print and digital. In a similarly stark fashion, the use of colour is entirely monochromatic, as Executive Creative Director Richard W Smalley remarks. “Decisions around colour were driven by the pure no-nonsense utility and function of Amplitel,” Smalley concludes, “it was very much a ‘less is more’ belief that stripped the palette back to only that which was necessary.”