2024 Winner

In 2023, the Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD) introduced the RGD Branding Awards to celebrate global excellence in branding and design. The challenge for Rethink was to create a compelling brand identity that would attract international design judges and submissions from studios worldwide. The concept centred around using the registered trademark symbol as the foundation for the new work. This innovative approach involved designing a custom typeface called Registered Grotesk, featuring over 160 characters with multi-language support
and unique OpenType features.

The design pushed creative boundaries, with intricate characters containing thousands of Bézier control points. The system also extended into a dynamic suite of graphics for print and digital materials, including personalized portraits of renowned international judges recreated using only the symbol. The impact was immediate, garnering widespread praise from the design community and winning a prestigious Design Lion at Cannes. It also propelled the RGD Branding Awards to become the org’s most successful program launch to date, exceeding revenue projections by over 200%.

Credits

Chief Creative Officer: Aaron Starkman, Mike Dubrick
Chief Strategy Officer: Sean McDonald
Executive Creative Director: Leia Rogers, Morgan Tierney
Creative Director: Alex Bakker, Hans Thiessen, Sean O’Connor
Designer: Alex Bakker, Hans Thiessen, Aleks Jones
Motion Designer: Leigh O’Neill, Ignacio Florez
Digital Designer: Steve Miller
Developer: Ken Malley
Art Director: Alex Bakker
Writer: Jordan Lawson
Typography: Hans Thiessen
Producer: Meg Norton, Scott Russell
Account Supervisor: Tianna Fung
Client: Karin Heinsch, Hilary Ashworth