&Walsh’s five logos for a new ad agency mimic organisms under the microscope

&Walsh has branded a new independent, full service advertising agency, QX. Founded by DDB’s ex global chief creative officer Ari Weiss, the agency is also composed of Cristina Reina, formerly of McCann, and Colleen Leddy and Dan Gonda, formerly of Droga5. The agency says it rejects a one-size-fits-all approach, so to reflect this, &Walsh have centred its new look around a “dynamic” logo system, which features five alternative logos.

While each logo is distinct, they’re all inspired by natural forms, and aim to “evoke the essence of organic life, reminiscent of plants or living organisms, without mirroring any particular entity directly”, says Jessica Walsh, founder of &Walsh. Some are realised in 2D, in a monochrome black-and-white scheme – the organic, elegant shapes and calligraphic feel giving it tendrils, and a neo-gothic feel, whereas others are realised in 3D and a soft pink hue. In motion assets, the 2D logo transforms into the 3D swaying and growing, mimicking the movements of an organism under the microscope. “In this biosphere, the logomark breaks through the limits of its 2D shape, expanding into a 3D living organism,” a press release states.

One of the main reasons for such variety was to create a sense of contrast. In the preliminary interviews with QX, the &Walsh team learnt that their core priority was to strike a balance between making safe and bold choices. It was this that led to the friction between the logos: each of the five logos in the suite was positioned on a scale “from safe to dangerous”, from the softer friendlier edge of the pink 3D iterations, compared to the spikier, vine-like versions.

This flexibility doesn’t only extend to the form of the logos, but the presence in the identity too. “When crafting a visual aesthetic for a creative agency, it’s important to reflect the brand’s personality, but also consider the functional role of the brand and how the brand will come to life in presentations, portfolios, or digital touchpoints,” says Lucas Luz, art director on the project. “The agency’s identity must be versatile enough to complement and enhance the client’s creative work without dominating or detracting from it.” To ensure this, the team focused on creating a dynamic system, one that would help them to “dial up or dial back” their personality, an important tool to create space for the creative work to take centre stage. At points, a translucent logomark can take up the whole back frame of a slide, while a much smaller, subtler version sits in the corner. This was only aided by the suite of logos, which can be selected to suit the character and needs of each individual client.