The top five branding moments of 2024

JKR – Mozilla: A Return to Early Tech Aesthetics

Mozilla’s rebrand in September, through global branding agency JKR, marked a departure from the web browser’s previously polished, corporate style – which is often associated with tech companies. Embracing a classic and bright RGB green (akin to the summer’s Brat green) and a playful typeface that recalls early internet and gaming graphics, Mozilla’s new look aims to connect with users in a more human way.

“It’s very nostalgic,” says James Fooks-Bale, director of brand marketing at Frontify. “Almost like they’re trying to go back to an era that maybe didn’t even exist for them but lives in our collective perception of that time. The bright hues and the typeface are interesting – and it’s not overly refined or sterilised."

The new identity has been welcomed as a move to break away from the sea of sameness that has engulfed tech brands in recent years, avoiding blues, gradients and high resolutions. By intentionally using a quirky, almost chaotic design style, Mozilla is quite literally planting its flag as a tech brand that values personality over perfection – something James says is particularly significant in light of the growing trust issues within the tech space. This fun rebrand helps to reestablish Mozilla’s sense of identity and connection with its users. While still in the early rollout phase and due to be fully pushed out across Firefox and other parts of the brand’s architecture, next year will be a true marker of how audiences perceive this redesign – but it signals the brand’s willingness to embrace change.

Wolff Olins – Anno: Challenging Gaming Branding

In June, design agency Wolff Olins made waves with its work for Ubisoft’s Anno game. The rebrand brought a more sophisticated and grounded aesthetic to the gaming world, trading traditionally glossy and fantastical visuals popular within the industry, for more crafted, earthy elements. The typography, inspired by the Albertus typeface, blends modernity with a sense of history, although it appears timeless and levitating within an array of naturescapes.

“It takes you to a different place through the typography selected and what it’s built from, both materially and stylistically,” says James. “The typeface used references a specific tone and time period, it’s tactile and versatile, but it can feel futuristic in some iterations and also looks backward in time. That duality – of time-traveling through a simple design element – is fascinating and reflective of how technology can be applied to create unique visual narratives. For gaming, design needs to transport you – to evoke an experience, a time, or a place – so this execution is very suited.”

The approach marks a significant shift for gaming branding, where kitsch and more flat designs are commonplace, with the project redefining what gaming aesthetics can be. Through its scaling up of resources and more mature look, Anno might inspire a broader shift within the industry towards more refined and immersive experiences.

Buck – Notion: Illustration-Led Identity

Notion’s 2024 brand campaign from creative agency Buck doubled down on its illustration-driven visual language, which takes a more human-centered approach to tech branding. Straying from the ultra-efficient, minimalistic designs typically seen in the tech world, Buck instead embraced a handmade, artistic touch, combining playful illustration and animation, soft typography and a calming colour palette to reinforce Notion’s approachability and user-friendly qualities – unusual when a lot of tech branding can still feel impersonal.

“Technology is hard to describe because it’s intangible,” says James. “It can often feel confusing or overwhelming. But with Notion’s style, Buck is able to describe something very technical in an easy-to-understand way… I’ve really enjoyed watching Notion as a brand over the last five to ten years. Its products are intuitive and this identity reinforces that. It’s not trying to convince you that the product has caught up with the competition… What differentiates any product is its soul. And Notion has really tapped into that, bringing more humanity, friendliness, and togetherness into what it’s presenting.”

This rebrand highlights the trend toward making tech feel more relatable and less intimidating. By incorporating interactive cartoonish elements, it’s highlighting the personal, artistic side to its identity, successfully making its tools feel more accessible and opening the door for other tech brands to rethink their branding approach, while appealing to new users.

These five rebrands represent some of the most significant moments in the world of graphic design and branding in 2024. From Mozilla’s playful embrace of early tech aesthetics to Notion’s human-centered design, these projects reflect the broader cultural trends of nostalgia, authenticity, and a desire for connection in the face of a fast-evolving digital landscape.

“There’s fierce competition,” says James. “And everyone’s trying to progress as quickly as possible. Brands are increasingly challenging category norms and breaking away from the sameness that’s been established by aligning too closely with the norm… Shaking up a category through branding is something I think we’ll see more of. For so long, brands have focused on being hyper-consistent and scalable, but that doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t play outside those norms…. It should encourage brands to be braver in what they launch.”

Each project offers valuable lessons for brands looking to stay relevant and memorable in an increasingly crowded market. Whether through innovation, nostalgia, or simply a more human touch, these moments have defined the year in branding.