Case studies: what’s new
Not Wieden+Kennedy
In January 2023, the London branch of global creative agency Wieden+Kennedy, first established in Portland, Oregon, in 1982, introduced the cheekily named Not Wieden+Kennedy, an in-house studio dedicated to branding and design. The launch included the Not Machine, a digital generator creating colourful word marks and animations. ‘We obviously had to put something online to start a new chapter, but did not want to create just a logo,’ brand director Anika Ramani told LS:N Global. She added: ‘Jonathan Plackett, one of our creative technologists, created the first working version of the Not Machine in about two to three days. It was too good just to be kept within our team.’
Nexus Design Studio
In February 2023, London- and Los Angeles-based animation specialist Nexus Studios opened Nexus Design Studio, a new division dedicated to motion design. The new team of ‘VFX gurus’ and ‘animation queens’ led by motion designer Harry Butt will work on bespoke projects focusing on graphic aesthetics and typography for everything from social media assets to website design and product launch films. ‘The safety of having so much talent around us means that we can push the industry and format into new exciting places, with the confidence to take on big jobs and steer people into exciting motion design executions,’ says Butt.
