Transform readers' rebrand of the year: 2025
We asked designers around the world to nominate the rebrand that moved them, excited them and made them think. From football teams to political movements, the responses were wide-ranging. Now, for 2025, the results are in…
AFC Ajax (Smörgåsbord Studio)
Libby Tsoi, creative director, DixonBaxi
When I first saw the coin-like, crosshatched illustration for Ajax (officially Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax), I was immediately drawn to its craft, and was curious to see how the wider identity would support such a historic-looking mark. When the full brand system was revealed by Smörgåsbord Studio, it was clear the balance had been struck beautifully – sleek and contemporary, yet deeply rooted in legacy. Editorially confident, the identity blends retro cues with a forward-looking sensibility, creating a sports brand that feels both timeless and modern. The refresh doesn’t just respect the club’s heritage – it elevates it, decisively nailing the brief.
Affinity (Canva Creative)
Joseph Harries, co-founder and creative partner, Limber Brands
I'd nominate Affinity. To me, it's a great example of a rebrand that genuinely changes perceptions of intrinsic value. (Of course, it helps that it's now free to use.) It walks a thin line very well, between the parent company Canva and the obvious dominant rival beginning with ‘A.’ Owning the .af filename is an inspired way to own that space as the alternative to the monopoly. Plus, a gorgeous icon, with Rob Clarke on board to make those curves really bounce.
Agua de Madre (Chris Chapman)
Francisco Belo dos Santos, senior brand designer, Brand Lounge
Agua de Madre’s rebrand stood out as a favourite and a strong evolution. It’s unmistakably fun, embracing maximalism while staying true to the brand’s ethos and the spirit of their drinks. Vibrant colours, nostalgic typefaces and sticker-like graphics work together, with familiar elements carried over to ensure a smooth transition, which is especially important for a phased rollout.
It’s also a lesson in how consistency and recognisability can come from flexibility. When the balance is right, everything holds together. The result has a pop culture nostalgia that recalls the textures of childhood. I love it. It evokes all the right emotions.
AIRCO (Closer)
Fang Woei Yang, creative director, Dragon Rouge China
The rebranding created a new hybrid style from the intersection of hi-tech and hi-fashion to speak out their new business vision. It sheds its consumer-focused, eco-luxury skin for a powerful industrial aesthetic that stands confidently for futuristic technological. The new identity brilliantly merges advanced tech with high-fashion allure. The aerodynamic logotype and bold typography evoke a sense of sexy, futuristic precision, reminiscent of aerospace and luxury design houses.
Amazon (Koto)
Ahmed AlAbdullatif, creative director and CEO, Gene Branding
I find Amazon's recent rebrand by Koto to be one of the most prominent projects of 2025. It helped unify a fragmented user experience and gave the brand a more modern, confident voice.
The rebrand resulted in a brand system that is fresh yet friendly and unmistakably “Amazon” at every touchpoint – from packaging and delivery vans to apps and global services.
What impresses most is how the rebrand balances familiarity and evolution: it keeps the iconic “smile,” but turns a sprawling, inconsistent ecosystem into a unified, scalable identity – proving that even the biggest brands benefit from periodic, deeply thoughtful design resets.
Mike Perry, CCO and founder, Tavern
My favourite rebrand of 2025 was Amazon’s refresh by Koto. It’s a masterclass in tuning a brand without breaking it. Nothing was reinvented for the sake of reinvention. Instead, every touchpoint feels clearer, sharper and more intentional. I first clocked the shift on Amazon’s electric trucks; the copy was so witty and crafted I knew a designer had finally gotten inside the brand. The new architecture is equally smart, unifying Amazon’s vast verticals in a way that never existed before. At Tavern, we call this “brand at the heart.” Koto kept what worked and elevated everything else.
Apple TV (TBWA\Media Arts Lab)
Renata Venturini, design lead, Work & Co, part of Accenture Song
Earlier this year, Apple TV dropped the ‘+’ from its name, introducing a new visual brand to its animated TV logo. The liquid glass effect pays homage to Apple’s 1979 rainbow logo through a special and surprisingly retro process. Rather than defaulting to the current trend to incorporate AI into the design process, Apple opted to make a handcrafted physical glass logo, and filmed the team creating it using macro lenses, lighting tricks and colour gels. The animatics are rooted in physical craft, not simulated polish. As a designer, I love seeing this level of intention. We can appreciate that the process is just as meaningful as the final result.
AS Roma
Tom Sykes, strategy director, Principals
I'm not a European football fan, but what this category does transcends sport. These clubs are civic institutions, identity markers, multi-generational inheritances. AS Roma's return to their historic ASR crest (developed under the Friedkin ownership) is a rare act of strategic restraint. After 12 years of fan protest against their 2013 modernisation, ownership listened to its fans and not to trends, recognising that the symbols of a club matter both deeply and widely, and that sometimes progress means restoration. In a sea of trend-mapping sameness, Roma's quiet undoing reminds us that sometimes the bravest move can be knowing when to step back with care and craft.
Bentley (in-house)
John Fairley, creative director, Fairley Graphic
Bentley’s Winged B stepped into the future in July 2025, evolving quietly and confidently in-house. No grand reinvention. No restless fuss. Just a century-old emblem pared back to its purest form by the people who know it best. The wings were refined, the lines tightened and the whole mark seemed to breathe again. It’s my favourite rebrand because it shows rare restraint. It honours its history without being held hostage by it. A modern silhouette drawn from an old soul. Proof that when a brand listens to its own heartbeat, the work rings true.
Cracker Barrel (Prophet)
David Stevens, executive strategy director, Bulletproof
Had either Jaguar (sorry, joGuor) or Cracker Barrel been rage-bait hoaxes – which I so adamantly believed/hoped they were at the time – then hands-down they would've been generational masterstrokes of strategy, and we'd probably all still be talking about them now. "They really had us going there!" I thought I'd be saying. Instead, the backlashes were more of the regular love-to-hate-rebrands kind, so we'll all have to wait till 2026 for a launch that's more like a game of self-parodying 3D chess.
Darts
Rich Rhodes, executive creative director, SomeOne
With all the hallmarks of a design classic, balancing history and modernity, understanding the tone of the market, and being fully accessible to all audiences… that’s right, DARTS is my rebrand of the year.
Once the pub pastime of the everyman, it has achieved its success not through a new logo, a flashy palette or even a clever idea, but purely through the strength of its experience, turning it into a multi-million pound international superpower.
Whilst many other sports have missed the board, the stats speak for themselves – the global game is valued at over £400 million, viewing figures are up 46% (achieving Sky's highest non-football audience), 100+ players have their own ranges, Bullseye is back on TV, and His Excellency has even brought the game over to Riyadh Season.
With the 'Littler Effect' dialled up to max, surely it can only go on to bigger and better things – proving that sometimes the best brand work isn't always visual.
I'll see you down the oche.
Domino’s (WorkInProgress and Shaboozey)
Alexander Wodrich, managing director, why do birds
One of the 2025 rebrands that stands out is the Domino’s design evolution. What makes it special for me is that they included sound as an integral part of their brand strategy. And what was clever about it was that they didn’t look for a new McDonald’s “ba-da-ba-ba-baa” but for something that could have been there all along. They went for the “mmmh” sound you make when you take a bite from your pizza and watch the cheese stretch out. This sound is now embedded directly into the brand name, spelled Dommmino’s. Recorded by hip-hop artist Shaboozey, the jingle is flexible, expressive, and future-proof. A smart, sensory-driven move – deliciously done.
Double Diamond (Alec Tear)
James Snook, associate creative director, Siegel+Gale London
My rebrand of the year is undoubtedly Double Diamond beer. Originally a best-selling British beer from 1876, the brand disappeared until its 2025 revival. The project is a masterclass in achieving the perfect balance of modernity and heritage. The design team wisely stripped away dated elements, like the "racetrack" label, in favour of a vibrant, historically rich toolkit. This includes a custom italic sans serif, the distinctive linked DD monogram, a brilliant yellow/orange colour palette and the characterful "Little Man" mascot. While featuring an extensive visual system, it hits all the right strategic and aesthetic notes, successfully relaunching this historic brand with contemporary confidence.
Eternal Research (Cotton)
Ali Ozden, creative director, Universal Favourite
For me, Cotton’s Eternal Research is a masterclass in design feeding product experience. It doesn’t just dress a product, it defines how we perceive it. The agency designed everything from the ground up, and as a result the visual system really shows the depth of thinking, where every touchpoint feels connects with the underlying product philosophy. The amount of research and thinking in it is wild. Victorian ornamentation, advanced generative tech, audio reaction, then remix that into something that completely subverts expectations of music-tech identities. It’s thoughtful, beautifully nuanced and built from the ground up with intelligence and intent. Love.
Field Day (Studio Nari)
George Wu, design director, Mother Design
When every brief asks for "timeless," it's refreshing to see a brand that goes all in on ephemeral energy. Field Day's identity by Studio Nari embraces festival culture with a mixed-media approach that feels genuinely immersive. Their "Reactive Future" concept leaves room for reinvention each year, which is exactly what a music festival should do: capture a moment, not preserve it forever.
Genk (SKINN)
Richard Swain, partner, Further
The fact that a municipality of just 66,110 people invested in such a bold, confident identity warms my cockles.
Not only does it successfully serve as the identity for both the city government and tourism brand, it deliberately breaks away from familiar destination brand codes.
Taking inspiration from the city’s mining history, the identity expands into a flexible system: from faceted cut-outs that can hold photography or text, to iconography that scales effectively across a multitude of surfaces.
Most importantly, it makes me want to visit Flanders, pedal around and sample an Oud Bruin or two.
GF Smith (Templo)
Shane Smith, designer, f.r.a.
The GF Smith rebrand stood out to me for how confidently it repositions a traditionally formal brand without losing its authority. The new typographic mark feels deliberately flexible, designed to rotate and reorient rather than sit rigidly in one place. In motion, it reminds me of flicking through paper stock or turning the pages of a book – subtle, but familiar. That movement brings a sense of playfulness and approachability, while still feeling considered. It’s a smart shift for a paper brand operating in an increasingly digital world, using typography to show that paper is tactile, expressive and far from static.
Graeter’s (Dewhaus)
Drew Stocker, creative director, Pearlfisher
Graeter’s recent identity and packaging redesign is one of those projects I was actively jealous of (always a good sign, it’s ‘graete'). The crown-meets-cone symbol is such a perfect Cincinnati “Queen City” wink, and I’m a total sucker for a modern, well-crafted script. Pulling in “for those who know” feels like the right kind of nostalgia and invites us into the ’secret.’ The subtle gradients, brighter palette and gold foil make everything feel extra indulgent, especially the famous Black Raspberry Chip which brings back memories as a Cincinnati native. And the flavour scoops on the lids? So simple, so smart. Overall, it nails that balance of 155 years of heritage with a fresh, modern edge.
Great British Railways (in-house, Department for Transport)
Angus Hyland, partner and creative director, Pentagram
This is not strictly a rebrand; it’s more of a resurrection. Great British Railways unveiled its new identity this week, and it was fantastic to see Gerry Barney’s iconic double arrow logo back from the dead and taking centre stage in the new livery. It sits perfectly alongside the clever new BR clock by Design Bridge, revealed in October.
Of course there’s been the inevitable backlash about the design being bland, but the UK’s new nationalised railway is not the place for anything too cutting edge. Like the service it will be providing, it needs to signal reliability and efficiency.
Combined with Margaret Calvert and Henrik Kubel’s Rail Alphabet 2 typeface, the double arrow gives us just the right blend of nostalgia and hope for a railway that puts its customers – rather than its shareholders – first.
Jack Cousins, editor, Transform magazine
While it was an immense joy commissioning this fun, end-of-year article, I did receive a number of responses decrying the lack of high-quality rebrands over the past 12 months. While I know for a fact there are many excellent pieces of work – and the Transform Awards has absolutely attested to that – I appreciate that it has been something of a slower year, and I myself have struggled to pick a decisive ‘winner.’
Then, late in the day, along came Great British Railways, the UK’s newly planned state-owned railway company. Softly patriotic and easy on the eye, the design speaks to the often-forgotten idea that sometimes there’s no need to overthink things.
Paul Cardwell, co-founder, Saboteur
STOP PRESS. A last-minute entry has just pulled into the station. Great British Railways is going to be the new brand that replaces 17 companies (yes, 17! In a small country, where the maximum journey is nine hours. Ridiculous) The train livery is a smart dynamic mash-up of the Union Jack. The logo echoes the glory days of Intercity 125. Designed in-house, as much of the great railway work was in the past. Trains are the most civilised and sustainable way to travel. This design shows we haven’t forgotten how to do it.
Green Party of England and Wales
Thomas Lacey, creative director, Butterfly Cannon
Look at the transformation the party has gone under in less than a year – from the niche underdogs to become a political party that has every legacy party (and the rest) running scared. It shows the power of clear and consistent messaging, delivered with a great tone of voice, unique visual style and on-point channel strategy. Brands should take note – the Greens have a singular vision that doesn’t patronise its audience, is happy to disagree with you and sticks to its guns. It is the opposite of design by committee – Zack [Polanski]’s got ideas and he want to share them with you on his terms. A great lesson in smart rebranding, delivered at incredible speed.
i-D Magazine
Claren Walker, senior strategist, Porto Rocha
Of all the rebrands this year, i-D Magazine’s is the one I keep coming back to. At a time when brands are scrambling to keep up with youth culture, i-D shows how to be tastemaker by working from within it. Under editor-in-chief Thom Bettridge, the magazine recontextualised its ’80s punk roots for today’s world: platforming subcultural voices, returning to print, expanding into Substack and embracing an irreverent but considered design language that’s so wrong, it’s right. As Bettridge puts it, magazines should be “tools for turning the chaos of the present into something iconic” – a signal for those of us who make brands, too.
La Compagnie des Animaux (Graphéine)
Xi Chen, managing director, Dragon Rouge China
Smart, clear, fun and flexible, La Compagnie des Animaux has smartly refreshed its identity within the highly explored pet care landscape. The rebrand introduces a focused and vivid visual system that remains wonderfully playful and engaging. By employing a versatile, colour-coded framework, it achieves remarkable clarity while retaining a warm, approachable character. This strategic design is not just aesthetically pleasing; it's built for product line expansion and growth.
La-Z-Boy (Colle McVoy)
Saurabh Singh, general manager, Dragon Rouge Singapore
Rebranding a culturally ingrained brand is hard – they come with decades of expectations. But tapping into heritage to reignite relevance can be the smartest path forward. That’s what La-Z-Boy’s 2025 refresh gets right: it returns to the character of its original logo while refining it for today’s audience. We’re seeing a wider resurgence of legacy brands, as younger consumers rediscover names they never grew up with. For them, authenticity matters, and a brand’s past can feel new again. The challenge is balancing respect for what made a brand iconic with the craft needed to make it resonate now.
Lando Norris (OFF+BRAND)
Tom Gilbert, group executive creative director, Design Bridge and Partners
Lando Norris’s 2025 brand refresh arrives in a landmark year as he secures his first World Championship. The identity has been sharpened to match his new status, simplifying the LN mark and creating a more cohesive system across racing, content, merchandise and partnerships. The digital experience has also been elevated, with Off Brand Agency enhancing how the brand shows up for fans globally. The result is a cleaner, more confident and more scalable brand that reflects a champion, fuels his growing community and sets the platform for the next chapter of his career.
London Museum (Uncommon Studio)
Duy Nguyen and Lan Mai, co-founders, M — N Associates
Uncommon Studio’s rebrand for the London Museum really changed how we look at museum identities or cultural identities. Choosing the pigeon, something so ordinary yet so symbolic of London, feels surprising at first but quickly becomes the smartest choice in the whole system. The white pigeon stands out as a clear, modern icon that can shift shape and still carry stories through form and repetition. The handwritten details bring back a sense of people, of personality, so the system never feels cold. Overall, the identity turns everyday culture into something coherent, expressive and quietly playful, which is what makes it stay with you.
Michael Hill (Clemenger BBDO)
Kylie Gould, director, Creatik
The Michael Hill rebrand is my standout of the year for its rare ability to elevate a legacy retailer with clarity, restraint and real strategic intent. It transforms a familiar high-street jeweller into a contemporary and aspirational brand while still holding onto the heart of its heritage. The identity is elegantly crafted, the storytelling refined and the execution consistently strong across every touchpoint. What inspired me most is the way the work brings back romance and craftsmanship in a way that feels modern, confident and assured. It is a brilliant example of design excellence driving genuine perception change at scale.
Microsoft Office
Annie Kozak, senior designer, Prophecy
Microsoft’s 365 icon redesign stands out as 2025’s best rebrand because it reimagines the role of UI in a world rapidly moving toward UX shaped by both humans and AI. The update feels small at first glance, yet its impact is significant. Each icon subtly reflects how collaboration now spans human-to-human and human-to-AI interactions. These refinements aren’t just aesthetic – they signal a shift in how design and product development are evolving in the age of AI. By capturing this transformation with clarity and restraint, Microsoft’s new 365 icons become an expression of where digital experience is headed.
Momo (M – N Associates)
Katie Zhou, founding partner, MetaThink
Highly relevant to financial attributes yet cleverly expressed in a relatable, youthful language. This remarkably approachable digital rebranding aligns perfectly with the brand's ambition to make financial services accessible to everyone, leaving a lasting impression.
Mountain Dew (PepsiCo Design)
Marco Vitali, founder, Sonic Lens
I love how Mountain Dew walked the fine line of honouring their heritage while repositioning the brand for the future. I admire their ‘storytelling’ approach, treating design elements as flexible ideas rather than static assets, allowing the brand to adapt their new focus on the outdoors to different scenarios – inviting consumers into a sunshiny world of lush green, snow-capped mountains, lake-life, starry nights and camping days. The tension of contrasts is also engaging – earth meets mountains meets sky, post war national park poster styles meet bold new colour palettes. They created a distinct brand universe that lives and breathes.
Mud (Angelina Pischikova and Karina Zhukovskaya)
Damian Borchok, managing director, APAC, Koto
My pick for brand of the year is Mud, a courageous breakout in a crowded and convention-bound category. As a dog owner, I felt an instant connection. Mud celebrates dogs as their truest, scrappiest, ratbag selves – an insight that precisely shapes the brand's design, writing and experience. To all the founders who postpone investing in brand at launch, Mud is a masterclass in the value you're leaving on the table.
Muse Group (Collins)
Lorenzo Picchiotti, CCO and partner, DUDE Design
In recent years, design has played an increasingly central role in shaping how the music industry presents itself, from global brands like Spotify and Bose to cultural institutions such as Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano. The collaboration between Collins and Muse Group pushes this evolution further, setting a new benchmark for how design can translate sound into emotion. Through motion, typography and generative systems inspired by sound waves and spectrograms, the identity behaves like music itself: dynamic, expressive and alive. Rather than illustrating genres, the visual language captures rhythm, flow and resonance, offering a pop, colourful and sensorial lens through which music can be seen, felt and experienced.
Oasis
Mike Smith, creative director, Clout Branding
The Oasis comeback was undoubtedly the cultural event of 2025. Not a rebrand, exactly, more a rebirth. As a brand, it ticked every box: a compelling backstory (enough to captivate longtime fans and a curious new teenage audience), emotional resonance through Brit-pop nostalgia and smart brand extensions with Adidas, Burberry and Berghaus that reinvigorated the mod aesthetic. Its reach was multi-dimensional – from documentaries and books to art installations and pop-up shops, Oasis was literally everywhere. Most satisfying, though, the iconic logo, designed by Brian Cannon in the early nineties, remained untouched. Was it all part of the masterplan?
Philadelphia Art Museum (Gretel)
Gaby Granier, senior strategist, Boundless
A redesign that sparked fierce debate, for precisely the reason we liked it: it's disruptive, fun and full of character. It repositions culture as something that doesn't belong in the past, to be spoken of as 'heritage,' but as something evolving, that lives and breathes, occasionally messy, never perfect. Something that likes to live in the 'too much.' The PhAM's rebrand refuses the expected restraint of traditional institutions. Instead, it embraces maximalism and personality. It's bold enough to feel alive rather than preserved, accessible rather than intimidating. This isn't branding that whispers: it shouts, celebrates and invites everyone in.
PMU (in-house)
Sophie Roux and Claude Gottlieb, co-founders, BrandSilver
Founded in 1930, PMU is a historic French betting brand that chose not to imitate the football-led codes of online competitors, but to return to where it all began: the racecourse.
Its new identity favours emotion over buzz, tapping into the elegance of classic French cinema and the retro-chic Paris of Amélie Poulain. It also revives the electric atmosphere of neighbourhood bistros where races are watched together.
What inspires most is how PMU modernises without severing memory, making today’s brand experience resonate with France’s collective past.
Raleigh (DEPT)
Daina Todorovic, chief client officer, US, Sixième Son
I grew up riding a blue 10-speed Raleigh, so this refresh feels especially meaningful. What stands out is how naturally the rebrand brings an iconic name forward while staying true to what has always defined it. Raleigh has tapped back into its deepest truth – the joy of riding while feeling grounded in the moment – and allowed that spirit to shape where the brand goes next. The redesigned heron, the updated visuals and the unfolding story – shaped by DEPT all carry that feeling, with a voice that’s both timeless and new. And it feels like a brand evolution that could one day be expressed through a fresh, gritty and bold sonic identity.
Royal Albert Hall (Brandpie)
Ben Oates, founder, principle and group creative director, JDO Global
“Every time you walk out from the bull run, the room lifts you.” My brother’s description of performing at the Royal Albert Hall stuck with me. That sense of performer and audience being held, and that shared rise, is exactly what this identity needed. Using the iconic dome as the core graphic is absolutely right. The red brings a necessary shot of energy, giving the system boldness and intent. At first, the typography felt almost Victorian bawdy, but now it reads as a bridge between past and future. A reminder that this hall has always been for the people. Henry Cooper boxed here, after all.
Roscoe Williamson, global strategy director, MassiveMusic
I'll be honest, my first reaction was, "Oh, really?" But once it had a bit of time to breathe and I started seeing it in different contexts, the strength of Brandpie's work became clear. It's a leap forward for the Royal Albert Hall, giving it a fresher, more contemporary feel without pretending to be something it's not. It feels right once you've lived with it a bit and the whole system brings a clarity the brand has needed for years. It respects the heritage, but it isn't trapped by it.
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (Johnson Banks)
Brian Collins, co-founder, Collins
Enchanted.
The transformation of The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh makes me wonder if Johnson Banks has been secretly, quietly mastering the art of sorcery.
What they’ve pulled off here is almost impossible: a rebrand that slips outside of time itself, while still feeling exuberantly up-to-date.
Most cultural organisations attempting this kind of reshaping end up looking like a giant museum gift shop or a craft brewery from Detroit. Or Sheffield.
Instead, this new design system radiates purpose, charm, wit and a romantic sense of the inevitable.
I am deeply, unforgivably, sinfully envious.
Sara Lee (Disegno)
Amber Bonney, founder and ECD, The Edison Agency
I've chosen Sara Lee’s rebrand as it tackles the kind of legacy baggage I know too well: decades of memories, visual drift and the curse of being “what’s always been in the freezer.” Disegno avoids clever-for-clever’s-sake and instead restores clarity and pride. “Tastes like home” becomes the organising idea, supported by a renewed commitment to bold red, believable family-style food moments and a cleaner pack hierarchy that helps shoppers spot favourites and discover new ones. Most impressive is how the identity operates as a true system, extending into architecture and storytelling. It’s disciplined big-brand work – and I know how hard it is to keep an idea this pure through approval.
Sigma (Stockholm Design Lab)
Jon Hewitt, creative director, M+C Saatchi Consulting
In a year dominated by AI hype, the beauty, craft and quiet confidence of Sigma’s rebrand stood out. Previously, the photography manufacturer’s inoffensive branding failed to do justice to the business behind it. Family-owned and still manufacturing in Aizu, Japan long after others moved offshore, Sigma has been synonymous with high-quality, innovative equipment for decades.
Its 2025 rebrand finally reflects this reputation. Stunning product photography, refined typography and a calm, assured colour palette sit perfectly alongside the brand’s elegant industrial design, exemplified by the Sigma BF camera that the rebrand launched alongside.
Nicholas Fels, lead designer, Saffron Brand Consultants
Simple, elegant and considered, the Sigma rebrand by Stockholm Design Lab stands out for me this year. The custom typography is excellent, a nice departure from the sans-serifs generally used for technical and innovative brands.
I also love the illustrated mascots. They are unexpected, adding a layer of joy and warmth that links back to Japanese culture. From the new symbol that nods to the brand’s heritage to the packaging and physical product and everything in between, it’s a cohesive and crafted brand that proves, as SDL notes, branding is about depth, not just surface.
Sam Houle, creative director, Siegel+Gale New York
In 2025, we’ve seen subtle and often undetectable brand refreshes. Defying this trend is Sigma, standing out for its unwavering pursuit of craftsmanship, heritage and technical precision. Elevated through meaningful modernisation whilst keeping an eye on its history, the wordmark strengthens the connection to the brand’s heritage, relying on serifs inspired by Japanese scripts. Beyond lettering, the Sigma symbol was reintroduced as an equity endorsement.
Radical simplicity and a foundational grid structure allow for the interplay of brand elements to bring dynamism, personality and order. Curated photography presents the product as objects of desire, while illustrated characters offer a moment of delight and creative celebration.
Tactile materiality and a culmination of beautifully toned colours ensure the packaging is rooted in simplicity. All brand touchpoints blend in a harmonious symphony of true gratitude towards Japanese craftsmanship.
Solflare (Ragged Edge)
Claudia Mark, head of creative, Agenda
Solflare is an unusual standout in the crypto space. Instead of leaning on fintech clichés, the rebrand pulls from financial codes to signal trust in a world often defined by mistrust. Its custom script logo feels more like a legacy financial institution or editorial giant than a crypto wallet, which makes it all the more unexpected. Paired with a bold yellow – a hard sell in a sea of finance blue – and digitised etched illustrations, the brand takes risks that actually pay off.
Somerset House (North)
Adrian Caddy, founder and CEO, Greenspace
Somerset House is my personal choice for Transform’s Rebrand of the Year 2025. This is not only due to the confidence and clarity of the new identity, but also because my company, Greenspace, has occupied a resident office at Somerset House since the end of the pandemic, giving me a first-hand view of its impact. Designed by North – of whose work I am a huge fan – the rebrand builds intelligently on “Step inside, Think outside.” What sets it apart is how naturally it has begun to permeate the environment, from signage and posters to galleries and digital tools. It feels coherent, lived-in and genuinely progressive.
Superhuman (Smith & Diction)
Harry Stewardson, digital design director, Ascend Studio
My rebrand of the year for 2025 is Superhuman by Smith & Diction. At a time when we’re bombarded every day with new AI tools that lean into the same sparkly visual language that telegraphs “We use AI,” Smith & Diction’s work breaks the mould. The icon is a triumph. Expressive, characterful, full of meaning and functional too. You can sense the human effort that’s gone into it. Crafted, not generated. It’s exactly the right tone for a company focused on raising human capability – not replacing it – and it’s the kind of direction AI branding desperately needs.
Walmart (JKR)
Matthew May, creative director, Diadem
While not groundbreaking, this update to an iconic American brand is a strong example of getting the small things right – the 1%ers, to borrow AFL parlance. Walmart’s refreshed identity offers a polite, confident nod to its past while bringing it firmly into the present through considered craft and detail. The work avoids shock value, instead choosing restraint and polish that allows signage, digital, packaging and store fit-out to feel cohesive – no small feat at this scale. Online grumbles aside, this approach respects hard-won brand equity. By sidelining ego and resisting drastic change, the design team demonstrates real judgement. Demonstrating strong brands don’t reinvent; they refine.
Youth Culture
Teemu Suviala, global chief creative officer, Landor
The most interesting transformation came from the world of numbers and youth culture, signalling that purpose isn’t the only game in town anymore.
6–7 was just two numbers that turned into a social phenomenon overnight. Built on gleeful obfuscation, it moved at lightning speed from social channels to South Park. And paired with the hand‑juggle, it weaponised meaninglessness and our current brain rot into a strangely generous sense of community and rebellion. After years of proud purpose manifestos, it looks like culture finally wanted the anti‑purpose.
6–7 proves that a thing, even a brand, can be wildly sticky by refusing definition and resisting extraction by the pros: adults, media and marketers.
Zohran Mamdani (Forge Design)
Nick Downes, partner, Interstate
Branding nations, destinations and celebrities is always challenging due to emotive opinion and polarisation.
The enduring benchmark in this space is Milton Glaser's 'I Love New York’ with its endless imitations. With that in mind, Zoran Mamdani's (re)brand and campaign, inspired by Bollywood posters and colours from yellow cabs and Red Hook hot-dog stands, was dramatic and different. It struck a genuine chord with younger New Yorkers by being deliberate and strategic, proving that authenticity outweighs surface-level aesthetics.
The brand or ‘anti-brand,' which platformed Mamdani as a modern, multicultural mayoral candidate, highlighted that legitimacy is the creative industry's most potent tool. While the Philadelphia designer's vibrant and textural concept was dramatic and brave, its effectiveness was intrinsically linked to Mamdani's powerful personality and ability to connect with his base.
Transform looks forward to covering the best and most transformational brand design work in 2026. Make sure you don’t miss a thing by subscribing to our weekly newsletter and print magazine.
