Koto
Koto is an international creative agency based in New York, with studios in Los Angeles, London, Berlin, and Sydney. Led by CEO James Greenfield, Koto builds optimistic, collaborative, and craft-driven brands for global leaders. The studio specializes in brand identity, strategy, and digital design, creating distinctive work that connects insight with impact. Notable collaborations include Microsoft Copilot+PC, Amazon, Google’s Fitbit Ace LTE, and Tripadvisor. With a multidisciplinary team and global reach, Koto continues to redefine how ambitious brands express themselves across every touchpoint with clarity, creativity, and purpose.
https://koto.com/
New York, United States
40 Cases
Cases
- Activision
- Unified Brand Identity For Call Of Duty
- N/a
- Call Of Duty
- Brand Architecture For Call Of Duty
- Architecture, Guideline, Hierarchy, Naming, Portfolio, Taxonomy
- De-extinction
- Brand Identity For De-extinction Sustainable Packaging
- N/a
News & interviews
- Booms & Shakes: March's fresh moves, new launches and a 26-year goodbye
Creative Boom · Mar 26, 2026
Creative Boom's March 'Booms & Shakes' roundup by Tom May highlights major movements across the design and advertising industry, including Ian Millner stepping down from Iris after 26 years, new creative leadership appointments at Bray Leino, Particle6, and BBC Creative, and the launch of Capel Group and Allwyn’s Studio 59. The article captures a month of expansion, new ventures, and evolving creative priorities across global studios.
Iris WorldwideBray LeinoParticle6AllwynBBCbranding - Gaming Goes Goblin-mode
BP&O · Mar 5, 2026
BP&O’s Emily Gosling reviews Koto’s rebrand for Marblex, a blockchain gaming platform founded by Netmarble. The new identity centers on a mischievous goblin mascot named Goby, using neon green and playful typography to inject fun and personality into the Web3 gaming space. The project reframes Marblex from a technical platform to an imaginative gaming ecosystem.
- “You’re well within your right to gatekeep your online voice”
It's Nice That · Feb 23, 2026
In this edition of Creative Career Conundrums, Katie Cadwell advises a designer on how to set boundaries when asked to act as the public face of their studio online. She emphasizes the importance of protecting one’s personal brand, offering strategies to engage professionally without compromising authenticity. The piece underscores the value of personal branding and self-advocacy in creative careers.
- Playing the part: Inside Roleplay, the studio turning 'strategic maximalism' into brand advantage
Creative Boom · Jan 19, 2026
Creative Boom profiles Roleplay, a young London-based branding studio founded by Ed Little and Hugo Ross. The duo describe their approach as 'strategic maximalism', blending bold design with sharp strategy to help challenger FMCG brands like Northern Pasta Co and Spice Department stand out. The article explores their philosophy, early projects, and the studio’s emphasis on personality and long-term creative partnerships.
- Why 2025's best rebrands mostly happened while we weren't looking
Creative Boom · Dec 18, 2025
Tom May’s Creative Boom article reflects on 2025’s most significant rebrands, arguing that the most impactful ones—by Amazon, Walmart, Apple TV, Eventbrite, and La-Z-Boy—were subtle evolutions rather than headline-grabbing overhauls. He contrasts these quiet successes with high-profile failures like Cracker Barrel, Jaguar, and HBO Max, emphasizing that brand strength now comes from coherence and consistency rather than spectacle. The piece concludes that the future of branding lies in thoughtful refinement and listening to audiences.
- Booms & Shakes: December's big wins, bold hires and a glimpse of what's next
Creative Boom · Dec 17, 2025
Creative Boom’s December 2025 ‘Booms & Shakes’ roundup highlights major agency appointments, leadership changes, and new creative ventures shaping the industry. Key stories include KFC UK hiring Here Be Dragons, Premier Inn appointing Born Social, and leadership moves at Koto, OLIVER UK, and Grey London. The issue also spotlights new tools like Typeflow by Algo and Cavalry, and community-driven initiatives such as Practice’s Shared Practice space.
- Review of the Year 2025: Top 25 Graphic Design
It's Nice That · Dec 15, 2025
It’s Nice That’s annual ‘Review of the Year 2025: Top 25 Graphic Design’ highlights the most-read and influential design stories of the year. The roundup spans topics from the resurgence of Gothic aesthetics and humor in design culture to the global reach of K-pop visuals and food-related branding projects. It reflects a year of curiosity, experimentation, and cultural crossover in graphic design.
- MassiveMusic reveals new identity by Koto
Creative Boom · Dec 4, 2025
Koto has created a new brand identity and website for MassiveMusic, uniting its various business units under the concept 'New Dimensions in Sound'. The rebrand emphasizes the physicality of sound through generative visuals, restrained color, and dynamic typography. Developed with Good City, the digital experience translates motion and sound into responsive, browser-native interactions that reflect MassiveMusic’s evolving role in audio branding.
- From Seoul to Koto: SoJeong Kim’s leap into New York design
The Brand Identity · Nov 27, 2025 · Interview
The Brand Identity interviews SoJeong ‘Hailey’ Kim, a designer at Koto New York, about her journey from Seoul to the U.S. and her growth in the design industry. She discusses her path into design, her experience working on the Tripadvisor brand refresh, and the collaborative, optimistic culture at Koto. The conversation highlights her resilience, curiosity, and belief in design as a strategic and expressive discipline.
- Craft rebrands around 'cultivation' to show how it grows creative talent
Creative Boom · Nov 25, 2025
Design recruitment agency Craft has unveiled a new brand identity centered on the concept of 'cultivation', symbolized through a floral visual system. The rebrand, led by a global creative team including Sundry, Good City, and photographer Paula Codoner, reflects Craft’s mission to nurture creative talent and leadership. The refreshed identity replaces a decade-old Elmwood design with a more mature, textured, and globally resonant look.
CraftSundryGood CityCraftNew York Timesbranding - Booms & Shakes: The big creative industry moves you need to know this November
Creative Boom · Nov 24, 2025
Creative Boom’s November 2025 'Booms & Shakes' roundup highlights major agency appointments, client wins, and new ventures across the global creative industry. From GOOD Agency’s partnership with The Children’s Society to Koto’s new chairperson and Elmwood’s leadership expansion, the article captures a sector in motion. It also spotlights new studios, relocations, and independent launches that signal optimism and reinvention despite economic uncertainty.
GOOD AgencyM+C Saatchi Sport & EntertainmentM+C SaatchiThe Children's SocietyFormula Ebranding - Koto on how to take private equity investment, without losing your soul
Creative Boom · Nov 13, 2025
Creative Boom’s article explores how global design studio Koto is navigating private equity investment from WestBridge while preserving its creative culture. The studio has appointed Charles Fallon as its first chairperson to strengthen governance and protect its people-first ethos. CEO James Greenfield and Fallon discuss how formal structure and cultural preservation can coexist during global expansion.
- Koto’s Carolyn Rush: “Good brands only happen with a good idea”
The Brand Identity · Nov 7, 2025 · Interview
The Brand Identity interviews Koto’s Senior Strategy Director Carolyn Rush about the importance of strong ideas in brand building. She discusses how strategy and design work hand-in-hand at Koto’s LA studio, emphasizing curiosity, collaboration, and conviction as the foundations of effective branding. The conversation highlights examples from brands like Bolt, Airtasker, and Airbnb to illustrate how strategic insights drive creative outcomes.
- Studio heads speak out on how AI is reshaping the creative process
Creative Boom · Oct 27, 2025
Creative Boom’s special report by Tom May gathers insights from seven UK studio leaders on how AI is influencing the creative process. While many see AI as a useful tool for accelerating research and ideation, they agree it hasn’t replaced human creativity or judgement. The consensus is that AI is being pragmatically integrated into workflows, enhancing efficiency without redefining the essence of creative work.
- Elizabeth Goodspeed Explains Why Studios Create Custom Fonts
It's Nice That · Oct 23, 2025
Elizabeth Goodspeed explores the growing trend of design studios creating their own custom typefaces as part of brand identity systems. The article examines how typography has evolved from a supporting role to a central brand asset, citing examples from studios like Koto, Order, and R&M. It argues that custom fonts offer brands originality, flexibility, and stronger visual ownership in an increasingly crowded design landscape.
- Creative Leaders Share 2026 Strategy Amid Industry Uncertainty
Creative Boom · Oct 13, 2025
The article gathers insights from leading creative directors and studio founders about their strategic priorities for 2026. Themes include efficiency through AI, the growing importance of strategy, blurred boundaries between disciplines, and the need for bold, distinctive creative work. Despite economic uncertainty, many studios express optimism and a focus on smarter, more collaborative approaches.
- "Exploring the Ethical Dilemmas Faced by Designers Today"
It's Nice That · Aug 28, 2025
Elizabeth Goodspeed’s feature for It’s Nice That explores the complex question of whether an ethical designer can truly exist in today’s commercial landscape. Through perspectives from studios like Pentagram, Koto, and Creech, the piece examines how designers navigate moral boundaries, client choices, and the contradictions of working within a capitalist system. The article highlights how personal values, studio policies, and structural realities shape what 'ethical design' means in practice.
- Koto Unveils Platform Breaking Design Education Barriers
The Brand Identity · Aug 14, 2025 · Interview
The Brand Identity interviews Koto’s London team about Seasoned, a free educational platform designed to make branding knowledge more accessible. Developed during lockdown, the project uses a cooking metaphor to teach design principles through interactive eBooks and digital experiences. The initiative reflects Koto’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and lowering barriers to entry in the creative industry.
- "Why Brands Must Prioritize Motion Branding Now"
Creative Boom · Jul 24, 2025
Written by Koto Motion Director Santiago Avila for Creative Boom, this article explores how motion branding has evolved from a decorative afterthought to a strategic foundation for modern brands. Avila argues that motion should be integrated into brand systems from the start, citing examples like Deezer, Figma, and OpenAI to illustrate how dynamic identities drive engagement and consistency. The piece highlights the growing importance of motion in digital-first environments and predicts a future where brands are responsive, data-driven, and alive.
- Creatives Ditch Networks for Independence Amid Industry Shift
Creative Boom · Jul 21, 2025
The article explores the growing trend of designers and strategists leaving large network agencies to start independent studios. Through interviews with leaders from Koto, Unfound Studio, Blurr Bureau, Brandon Consultants, and Studio Meisō, it highlights motivations such as creative freedom, agility, and values-driven work. The piece frames this shift as a structural and cultural evolution in the creative industry.
Clients
Tech Stack
Technologies detected on Koto's website.