close

kcrw

a rebrand for kcrw that transcends radio

For decades, KCRW has been the soundtrack of Los Angeles. Founded as a public radio station on the campus of Santa Monica City College, KCRW has had an outside presence as an international tastemaker (launching the careers of Billie Eilish, Beck, Adele among others) and a leading voice in news and culture.

 

In 2019, work x work and KCRW co-hosted On Air Fest’s LA Annex at KCRW’s new state-of-the-art facility bringing together the creative vanguard of audio makers and storytellers. Our partnership grew, and in 2021, KCRW approached work x work to help usher in the brand’s next era.

 

From early on it was clear that KCRW is more than a set of numbers on a radio dial. Over and over in our research, we kept hearing the words ‘belonging’ and ‘connection.’ We learned quickly it’s part of the social fabric of LA and we wanted to express that in the branding. The visual identity we developed is rooted in KCRW’s history while framing them for the future. Our tagline ‘Always On LA’ is the vocal commitment to being LA’s connection to music, news, culture, and each other.

 

The Frame

The new KCRW logo is held within an animated frame that shape-shifts and morphs, zooming in and expanding outward. Just like Los Angeles, the frame is infinitely mutable, forever in-motion.

A New Look & Message

The visual identity we developed is rooted in KCRW’s new tagline ‘Always On LA’ , a vocal commitment to being LA’s connection to music, news, culture, and each other.

 

The brand extends across all platforms, from web to merchandise, social to print and a forthcoming sonic ID – reaching millions.

“we wanted work x work to tackle our refresh because they look at audio the way we do –– as a vehicle for creating community engagement.” 

– Jennifer Ferro, President, KCRW

Art Direction

work x work also debuted new colors, typography and photography, reflective of the diversity and dynamism of Los Angeles. We spent several weeks documenting the energy and people you can only find in Southern California. And we extended the design systems into campaign creative to mark the launch of their spring fundraising drive and the newest chapter for KCRW.

More of Our Work