Iconic New York neighbourhood Union Square launches vibrant rebrand

Undertaken by The Working Assembly – itself based in Union Square – the project was completed on behalf of Union Square Partnership (USP), a community-based nonprofit that aims to promote, preserve and pioneer the neighbourhood. The branding and creative agency reimagined USP’s brand strategy, messaging frameworks, brand identity design and verbal identity.

By crafting a more audience-centred brand identity, the redesign sought to leverage the historic district’s economic potential. This was achieved by taking what had been a fragmented message and unifying it for both internal and external audiences. The new identity was developed around the idea that Union Square is one of the city’s most important gathering points.

Jolene Delisle, founder at The Working Assembly, says, “Union Square is the beating heart of downtown, full of energy, contradictions and character. We wanted the brand identity to reflect that pulse.

“From strategy to visual systems, our goal was to build a flexible framework that USP could use confidently and creatively across all their touchpoints.” 

The redesign includes an update to the USP wordmark, which was refined to reflect the district’s offbeat, multicultural personality. Other alterations include refreshes to the brand’s colour palette, typography system and illustrations.

Victoria Ortiz-Russell, director of marketing and events at Union Square Partnership, adds, “This rebrand helps us better communicate who we are, what we stand for and the impact we’re making. It’s a new language that helps us connect more meaningfully with our community.” 

The new identity is set to be utilised across USP’s touchpoints from lamppost banners to its annual report and digital content.