New typeface Brand New Roman makes the internet feel like a shopping centre

Language is quite useful, really. Sometimes, though, the bog-standard alphanumeric characters we’ve been putzing about with ever since the Romans ambled across Europe and decided that the Kentish coast was the place for them looks a little, well, boring.

At least that’s what American digital studio Hello Velocity seem to think. So they slaved away and came up with Brand New Roman, a cheeky typeface that plays fast and loose with corporate identity.

The studio, based between New York and Boston, and co-founded by former college friends Kevin Wiesner, Lukas Bentel and JS Tan, describe themselves as being committed to crafting “thought-provoking internet experiences.” In this instance, they’re asking us to consider the relationship between language and branding. Think Wingdings for late-capitalism.

Comprised of 76 corporate logos — which include the likes of Amazon, Beats, and Champion — the typeface possibly won’t last too long. The Hello Velocity guys have also coded plugins for Chrome and Firefox which instantly turn the user’s internet experience into an all Brand New Roman experience. It’ll be a bit like being trapped in Westfield. But at your computer.