We had a global rebrand last October: Mail.ru Group turned into VK. This article tells about our ideas and changes.
Many are aware of the brands within VK ecosystem: Mail.ru, social networks VK and OK, VK Play, GeekBrains, Skillbox, and others. However, not everyone knows that they belong to one company.
We decided to have a rebrand so it is visible that all these projects are parts of a single ecosystem.
The main goal of the rebrand is to create a system that helps link all the company’s products visually while allowing each individual product sufficient freedom.
VK is a widely known brand, especially among younger people. Users of VK social network are already using it for various purposes apart from publication of photos and listening to music: they buy and sell goods, watch videos and create stories, play and study. Therefore, it makes sense to combine different services under VK brand: this would help the user navigate through dozens of new services in the ecosystem without disrupting habitual user experience.
The new visual style was based on VK social network’s former identity, including logo, font, and colours. Monogram of merged letters V and K became the generating element of the visual language style. The new logo underpinned the appearance of all brands joined by VK. As to sub-brands, we created a specific concept for each one to preserve its identity.
Video about brand guidelines:
Graphics
All new visual techniques draw upon the refreshed monogram:
With clear lines and straightforward icon geometry, thickness and scale of its parts can be varied to create visual styles for widely different purposes.
For example, merged letters V and K can be decomposed, and patterns can be created from the resulting elements for future use to design images or create illustrations.
Colour
We broadened the colour scheme in line with the ‘Uniform but not Monotonous’ principle. Blue remains the main colour, but now it is supplemented by five more colours, in addition to white and black.
New colours and graphic techniques make VK recognisable even when the brand blue colour is not used, because overall image is composed of unmistakable elements.
Font
VK Sans remains the main font. It is used in all logos, themes of communities, ads and motion design and, therefore, it was inherited by all new projects.
Illustrations
Style of illustrations is based on round-shaped logo backing and pattern comprised of monogram parts. Bright main colours of the brand and dynamic composition gather identities of all sub-brands in one.
Using VK identity in other projects
While all products joined by VK should have uniform visual style, visuals of each sub-brand should be distinct. With this in mind, we formulated main requirements for project style:
- Brand should be visually perceived as a part of VK.
- Visual identity should inherit the main style.
- Each sub-brand’s style should be unique, match the positioning and meet the main objectives.
Logo system
Uniformity: all logos are based on a single principle — to repeat the shape and text part of VK logo. Example:
Icons
Uniformity: icons are based on a single concept — colourful icon shape, blue backing, and white outlines. Example:
Uniqueness: sub-brand’s accent color — each icon has its own metaphor.
Colours
Uniformity: sub-brand’s colour pattern consists of two colours, one of which is always blue.
Uniqueness: accent colour is specific to each brand.
Pattern
Uniformity: the pattern is based on VK monogram, with the same dynamic, slope and elements.
Uniqueness: each product has its own style of element shapes. Example:
Typography
Uniformity: VK Sans company typeface is used in all cases.
Illustrations
Uniqueness: own illustration style can be used that is different from the main brand’s.
Graphic technique
Uniqueness: each sub-brand may have its own technique.
Examples:
General collage:
Dating Project — gradient:
Mail Project — strokes:
Now there are no different brands for employees, for professional environment or for users of our services. There is one brand — with the required degree of variability which gives freedom to all projects of VK ecosystem and allows them to remain consistent at the same time. But the main thing is the fusion of meanings.
A change in visual culture entails a change in internal culture. One brand implies more close cooperation — with one team, and not with disparate products. It may be said that visual component of rebranding is a symbol of our company’s evolution.
