Re-Design MDR Sputnik

MDR Sputnik is a German broadcasting channel for young people. Originally founded as a radio station, today MDR Sputnik is a multi-channel entertainment brand, part of the German public broadcaster MDR. The challenge was to redesign the brand by integrating the new MDR umbrella brand logo into the logo, and still create a unique brand experience addressing young people.
Our aim was to create an identity which is based on a small set of strong visual design elements making the brand recognizable on every touchpoint, customizable for every occasion.

In a world where every conceivable shape is already a trademark, we invented a distinctive graphic brand icon: an emotional and shareable character. More than just a new logo, the new design and the character offer the opportunity for a deeper level of engagement with the brand, giving it a recognisable face. The characteristic smirk is created by making the MDR umbrella brand logo its mouth. The character shape is based on the initial shape of the sputnik satellite, a sphere with 4 antennas. Just like “Sputnik,” meaning literally “fellow traveller” in Russian, our character is always at your side, across all channels and touchpoints.