I created a full-scale rebrand, a complete album identity and a campaign that extends far beyond the traditional album purchasing experience. I updated the logo+general identity for the Weeknd, a Toronto-based producer with a strong digital tilt. I then designed artwork for his album, Thursday. His new logo lived as a graphic extension of his brand and the campaign behind the album.
The album paints a picture of a young woman who receives his attention, but only on Thursday. Her happiness is characterized and almost sarcastically portrayed through the cliché smiley face. It is a face that reeks of counterculture, the 99% and the Weeknd. It is a symbol of faux happiness, ignorance, bliss, true joy. This symbol is used to graffiti 1950s yearbook photos. It begs listeners to use the sticker inserts to deface (“reface,” really) their own photos. It’s more likely though that they’ll download the Weekndizer App and use it to digitally insert the Weeknd’s soon-to-be-iconic logo over their friends’ smiling mugs. A new look (fresh face, anyone) combined with a highly valuable, usable and shareable application* drives conversation around his brand/album and creates a memorable experience for fans.
*tightly integrated with social — easy publishing to networks/share-ability drives digital buzz
