Martin Guitar rebrand

For almost 200 years Martin had been the category leader, with an enviable list of players—from Eric Clapton to Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash to Kurt Cobain. But like any category, competition arises, and their competitors were doing better at connecting with musicians. Martin’s fiercely loyal customer base was aging, and the brand needed to engage the next generation of Martin loyalists. Today’s new guitar players are younger and more diverse. They view music and creativity differently and Martin needed to see the world in the same way. Creativity, not just instruments. Artists, not just musicians. Purpose, not ​just product.
 
Every individual has unique stories to tell and personal journeys to explore. This insight drove the brand purpose- “to unleash the artist within”. The new strategy was brought to life with a refreshed identity that put the artist at the center — from a contemporary editorial photographic style, a far more expressive type style and a revised color palette, that built on the Martin green, along with the design system that comprised a fret board inspired pattern that both nodded to the product but also expressed the individuality of artists and wave patterns that alluded to both musical and emotional self-expression.
 
One asset that could not be redesigned was their iconic logo, but it did not perform well in the digital age. We made quiet adjustments so that the logo was optimized for use across digital platforms.
 
Martin just launched the brand in April, coinciding with John Mayer’s tour where he exclusively plays a Martin when playing acoustic. The rebrand is already receiving amazing feedback from the organization.​