Motto
Motto® is a global strategic branding studio with teams in New York, United States and London,
https://wearemotto.com/
New York, United States
41 Cases
Cases
- Armitron
- Brand Identity For Armitron Watches
- Accessible, Contemporary, Heritage, Modern, Refined, Timeless
- Attend
- Full-scale Rebrand For Attend Home Concierge Service
- Archetype, Illustration, Naming, Photography, Positioning, Typography
- Beautyboss
- Brand Strategy And Identity For A Beauty Influencer Platform
- Bold, Confident, Empowering, Feminine, Modern, Vibrant
- Best Friends
- Brand Identity For Best Friends
- Acquisition, Distribution, Messaging, Packaging, Repositioning, Retail
- Bleecker Street
- Brand Identity For Bleecker Street
- Cinema, Distribution, Interview, Narrative, Positioning, Workshop
News & interviews
- Building Attend: a strategic brand system shaped by Motto® and AI
The Brand Identity · Apr 2, 2026
Motto® developed a full rebrand for Attend, a home concierge service, creating a strategic brand system that emphasizes care and trust over urgency. The identity features the FT Aktual typeface, a warm and natural color palette, and AI-generated imagery crafted through Midjourney, Krea, and ChatGPT. The project repositions Attend as a lifestyle-oriented brand that balances modern tech sensibilities with human warmth.
Motto®Attendbranding - How Ashfall Studio moved Aptos beyond typical crypto aesthetics
The Brand Identity · Nov 14, 2025
Ashfall Studio rebranded blockchain company Aptos to move beyond stereotypical crypto aesthetics, creating a warm, human-centered identity that retains the brand’s recognizable wave symbol. The project refined typography, color, and motion systems within a modular framework, launched at the Aptos Experience in New York. Collaborating with Motto and Evil Martians, Ashfall delivered a scalable, flexible brand ecosystem that balances technical precision with human warmth.
- Motto Launches Workbooks to Democratize Brand Strategy
The Brand Identity · Jun 10, 2025 · Interview
The Brand Identity interviews Motto co-founder and CEO Sunny Bonnell about Motto Supply, a new initiative offering interactive digital workbooks that distil the agency’s brand strategy frameworks for entrepreneurs and small teams. The project aims to democratise access to high-level brand thinking through self-guided, actionable tools. Bonnell discusses the creative process, challenges of simplification, and the positive global reception of the workbooks.
Mottobranding|digital|editorial - Ashleigh Hansberger: Treat Brand as Leadership, Not Just Marketing
The Brand Identity · Jun 2, 2025 · Interview
The Brand Identity interviews Motto® Co-founder and COO Ashleigh Hansberger about the studio’s 20-year journey and its philosophy that brand should function as a leadership tool rather than a marketing exercise. Hansberger discusses how aligning brand and culture can drive clarity, cohesion, and growth, sharing insights from Motto®’s transformative rebrand for Goodnotes. The conversation explores leadership, strategy, and the evolving role of brand in shaping company direction.
- "Creative Agencies Shift from Specialists to Valued Generalists"
Creative Boom · May 28, 2025
The article explores whether the creative industry is moving beyond the age of the specialist toward a new era of generalist creatives. Through interviews with agency leaders, it argues that the most valuable professionals today are 'T-shaped'—those who combine deep expertise with broad, strategic understanding. AI, tighter budgets, and evolving client needs are driving this shift toward adaptable, collaborative talent.
- "Is University Still Vital for Creative Careers in 2025?"
Creative Boom · May 27, 2025
The article explores whether university remains the best route into the creative industry in 2025. Featuring insights from creative leaders across agencies, it concludes that while formal education still offers structure and mentorship, self-taught and alternative paths are increasingly valid. The piece highlights accessibility, evolving technology, and the importance of time and practical experience in shaping creative careers.
- Key Traits for Future Creative Leaders Revealed
Creative Boom · May 27, 2025
The article by Tom May explores the evolving traits that will define the next generation of creative leaders. Through insights from leading designers and creative directors, it identifies key qualities such as strategic thinking, adaptability, taste, vision, emotional intelligence, courage, and authenticity as essential for future success in the creative industry.
- Leaders Offer Essential Advice to Creative Graduates
Creative Boom · May 19, 2025
Creative Boom’s article by Tom May compiles advice from leading creative directors and studio founders for graduates entering the design industry in 2025. The piece highlights themes of self-kindness, authenticity, personal branding, leadership, and embracing technology such as AI. Contributors from studios like SomeOne, Red Antler, and Fold7Design share practical insights for navigating the evolving creative landscape.
D8SomeOneOutlawcareer|industry_advice - Sunny Bonnell Discusses Branding Insights and Motto's Success
The Brand Identity · Feb 3, 2025 · Interview
The Brand Identity interviews Motto co-founder and CEO Sunny Bonnell about the agency’s evolution, philosophy, and recent successes. Bonnell discusses Motto’s focus on visionary leadership, its Idea Worth Rallying Around® framework, and major projects for clients like Andela, Goodnotes, and Colliers. The conversation highlights Motto’s strategic approach to brand building, culture, and leadership alignment as it enters 2025.
- Creative Leaders Outline Plans for 2025
Creative Boom · Nov 18, 2024
Creative Boom’s feature by Tom May surveys global design leaders about their strategies for 2025. The piece highlights how studios plan to adapt to economic challenges, integrate AI, focus on purpose-driven work, and improve internal culture. The overall tone is cautiously optimistic, emphasizing flexibility, learning, and sustainable creative practices.
- Studios Adapt to New Client Demands
Creative Boom · Nov 13, 2024
Creative Boom’s feature by Tom May explores how design studios are adapting to shifting client expectations in 2024. Through interviews with leaders from agencies such as Motto, SomeOne, and Wolff Olins, the article highlights trends toward integrated services, faster delivery, data-backed creativity, and AI adoption. It paints an optimistic picture of a more collaborative, strategic relationship between studios and clients.
- "Design Studios Share Exciting Trends for 2025"
Creative Boom · Nov 11, 2024
Creative Boom’s feature by Tom May gathers insights from leading design studios about what excites them for 2025. Themes include sustainability, AI as a creative enabler, motion design, mentorship, and a renewed focus on simplicity and experimentation. The article paints an optimistic picture of a design industry embracing purpose, innovation, and human connection.
- Studios Face Major Challenges in 2025: Leaders Share Strategies
Creative Boom · Nov 6, 2024
Creative Boom’s feature by Tom May explores the biggest challenges design studios will face in 2025, from AI disruption and client pressures to talent retention and market saturation. Leaders from studios like SomeOne, Red Antler, and Motto share insights on staying relevant, balancing technology with creativity, and maintaining sustainable business practices. The article highlights adaptability, differentiation, and human creativity as key survival strategies for the coming year.
- Green means go: Motto’s identity for FasterLines unleashes the power of speed and efficiency
The Brand Identity · Nov 20, 2023
Motto developed a dynamic new brand identity for FasterLines, a technology company focused on improving service speeds in retail and drive-through environments. The identity uses italicised typography, geometric shapes, and a vibrant green palette to communicate speed and efficiency. The project also included a website and brand strategy that reinforce the brand’s human-centred, data-driven approach.
- Capturing that ‘a-ha’ moment: Motto unveils their whimsical rebrand for note-taking app Goodnotes
The Brand Identity · Nov 7, 2023
Motto has unveiled a whimsical and familiar rebrand for the note-taking app Goodnotes, coinciding with the launch of Goodnotes 6. The refreshed identity balances heritage with innovation, featuring the Roobert typeface, a teal-led colour palette, and the tagline ‘Feed Your Mind.’ The project emphasizes creativity, learning, and the joy of discovery while maintaining brand familiarity.
- Motto’s Sunny Bonnell on their new brand, doing big things and helping leaders craft their vision
The Brand Identity · Dec 13, 2022 · Interview
The Brand Identity interviews Motto co-founder Sunny Bonnell about the agency’s refreshed brand and website. Bonnell discusses Motto’s evolution from a small startup to a global branding consultancy, their new visual identity centered around the rallying cry 'Do Big Things™,' and their focus on purpose-driven, leadership-aligned branding. The conversation also touches on inclusivity in the design industry and Motto’s future plans, including VisionCamp® and new publications.