Penguin Random House’s penguin is about as iconic as it gets. But now a new series of illustrations celebrates the famous bird with a series of other Playful Penguins, who are seen in a variety of situations.
The illustrations were created by Matt Blease and show an ensemble cast of penguins skateboarding, jumping and of course, reading. The iconic bird, known internally as ‘Alan’ won’t be going anywhere, however. These new illos are designed to show up in seasonal campaigns, social initiatives to point-of-sale displays, and were created to bring some joy and life to the brand as it approaches its 100th anniversary. So it’s not exactly a rebrand, but more of a glow up.
How were these beautiful creations made? Matt shared some of his development sketches on his Instagram. He dug deep in the Penguin Random House archives for inspiration.
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He also shared how he gave the penguins an analogue feel, by cutting them out in lino and printing each one in his studio.
I think these are a wonderful addition to Penguin Random House’s brand, and draw beautifully on ‘Alan’, who was last redesigned by Pentagram in 2003. They give the brand a sense of playfulness and fun while also respecting the brand’s rich heritage.
It’d be fun to see even more brands adopt jolly and beautiful iterations of their branding. McDonald’s or Coca-Cola illustrations, anyone?
