Images: Museum of Sex
(PSFK) — Since 2002, New York’s Museum of Sex has been building a bold reputation in the city’s saturated museum landscape by using a startup mentality to introduce its concept without the benefits of a storied heritage or endowment to its name.
But after 13 years of focus on growing the institution, founder Dan Gluck and his team knew it was the right time to introduce a new visual identity that could challenge misconceptions of what a museum of sex is and communicate the depth and variety of its programming which views sex through the lenses of art, fashion, history, science, and more.
“We’ve relied on word of mouth and our website until only recently,” Gluck tells PSFK. “So we’ve been swimming against the current of preconceived notions of what people consider a ‘Museum of Sex’ might be about, and what the Museum of Sex actually is about. Our work creating over 27 exhibitions, working with world-class designers, scholars, artists, and other collecting institutions speaks for itself, and perhaps after 13 years more loudly than simply our name. But for a while the name itself was pretty loud.”
The museum partnered with international branding firm Base Design, acclaimed for its work with La Fondation Vuittonto, the Museum of Modern Art, and Pantone, among others.
After some intense internal exercises that helped the museum concisely define what it’s about, Base created a visual representation that positions it as a culturally multi-faceted and must-see destinations for both tourists and locals. It highlights the museum as a diverse and exploratory space that pushes boundaries and captures the essence of the museum through an iconic, consistent communication system.
Seeking to establish that the museum is far from a repository for pornography and is the work of talented academics, artists, and scientists, Base developed bold and impactful typefaces that express the power of the museum’s name and frame thought-provoking imagery related to the history, science, and culture found in its exhibits. For the museum, rebrand success was defined as elegantly, accurately, and concisely capturing the soul of the brand.
Base partner and Creative Director Min Lew elaborates saying:
“The Museum of Sex is a creative breeding ground, for those who seek a deeper understanding of sexuality. It explores the frontier of the sexual landscape through the creation, curation and presentation of ideas and experiences. The new visual identity aims to express this very notion and positions the importance of those conversations found within the museum for the public.”
The rebrand hits on multiple touchpoints including out-of-home (OOH) advertising, signage, and the museum website. NYC Subway riders may have already noticed the ads on their daily commutes throughout the city. “This branding platform is a crucial moment in our evolution and we now have the means to get the word out there,” Gluck acknowledges. “Some pretty big things are coming up, so stay tuned!”
This article was written by Kiran Umapathy from PSFK and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.
