Introduction

Brand strategy and positioning
Brand portfolio and architecture
Identity design
Logo creation
Key messaging
Tone-of-voice
Brand guidelines
UI/UX design
Web development

Vertigo is the listening party everyone’s been waiting for. Vertigo’s app brings together music fans on Spotify and Apple Music to stream in-sync. It’s world-first and super compelling, but Vertigo was getting dizzy trying to explain itself succinctly to a new generation of streamers. So, they asked us to work on a new identity and key messaging. And we said: let’s party.

Music is Better Together case study image

Identity design

The thing that separates Vertigo from all other music apps is its synchronicity. This idea was core to everything that we built for Vertigo. 

“We utilized the logotype to create rhythmic patterns that should remind you of sound waves in an abstract sense. These always appear in groups to symbolize the idea of listening together.”

Erik Herrström, Designer

Black smartwatch with a bright cyan screen displaying a black arrow logo, resting on a dark textured surface.
Four vertical color blocks numbered 01 to 04 in lime green, black, pink, and cyan, each labeled with its RGB, CMYK, and hex color values.
Two vertical poster designs on a black and cyan chevron-patterned background, each stamped with a white circular arrow logo: one shows a woman drinking from a teal mug under the headline "For the Morning Brew," the other shows two women dancing with arms raised under "To Your Late Night Crew."

Identity design

We also simplified Vertigo’s existing color palette to highlight its bold and vibrant tones. We then paired these noisier colors with punches of black and white to appeal to a younger audience. A geometric Sans-Serif then rounded out the new look with its wave-like structure.

Tablet resting on a leather chair displaying a Vertigo app slide for musician Priya Ragu, showing her in red sunglasses and a red jacket against an orange and pink background, with "5pm Wednesdays" in bold type.
Illuminated white lightbox sign displaying the Vertigo Music logo and address, "Vertigo Music, Level 1, 5th Ave, New York, NY, USA," standing against a dark background.
Black slide reading "The Launch Lounge IDK" in white and pink text, next to a photo of rapper IDK in a black suit wearing a diamond grill and layered pearl and diamond chain necklaces.

Key messaging

Alongside the new look, we knew that Vertigo needed to sound different. To speak to a younger demographic, we needed to play up the brand’s playfulness. We landed on a text-like provocation that summed up the brand’s energy and key proposition in one. “So, do you wanna sync-up?”

Back view of a man wearing a dark grey Vertigo T-shirt with a white geometric chevron design and the text "Music Is Better Together," photographed against a pink wall.
Three pink and black Instagram Story mockups for Vertigo, one showing a close-up portrait of a woman labeled Lizzo promoting "The Launch Lounge," and another reading "Sync-up to your favorite artists, every Friday on Vertigo."
Mockup of a painted outdoor wall ad for Vertigo's "The Launch Lounge" featuring Megan Thee Stallion, with a teal and black geometric pattern and the text "Sync Share Stream Support."

Brand strategy

Vertigo is also a game-changer for artists. Vertigo multiplies the potential number of streams of any song by the number of synced-up listeners. So, we built a robust set of industry-facing collateral that explained exactly why it’s worth getting in a spin about Vertigo.

Subway platform poster ad reading "Billie Eilish" above her portrait, with a bright yellow banner promoting "The Launch Lounge, every Friday on Vertigo" and the Vertigo logo.
Monitor on a tripod stand displaying a cyan and black chevron pattern with the Vertigo arrow logo in a white circle at the center, set against a dark background.
Black flat-brim snapback cap with the white Vertigo arrow logo embroidered on the front panel, shot against a black background.
Two blurred light-streak bars, one white and one cyan, angled to form a chevron shape against a black background.

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