Mural Arts Philadelphia 40th Anniversary
A Vision to Bring to Life
When Mural Arts Philadelphia began planning its 40th anniversary in 2024, the VP of Communications arrived with a theme already formed — Roots & Reimagination — and a clear sense of what the year should feel like. Our job was to translate that vision into a visual identity system that could carry the weight of a significant milestone while staying rooted in the organization's existing brand.
A Logo System Built for Range
We developed a complete anniversary logo family with four distinct applications: a primary logo, a badge, a logomark, and an MA40 bug — each designed for specific use contexts and available in multiple colorways. At the heart of the system is a custom illustration we built to visualize the VP's concept: Philadelphia architecture, human figures, and the wave pattern from the existing Mural Arts mark, contained within a crest that honors both the organization's history and its forward momentum.
A Palette That Signals Celebration
The existing Mural Arts brand blue anchored the anniversary palette. We extended it with a set of neon colors — yellow, hot pink, lime green, cyan, and highlighter purple — applied in specific pairings to add vibrancy without overwhelming the organizational identity. The result felt unmistakably Mural Arts while signaling something worth celebrating.
Designed to Move
Animated versions of the logo were developed for social media and as opening sequences for presentations delivered by Mural Arts leadership throughout the anniversary year. The identity also carried into the seasonal catalogs — giving the year a visual coherence across every touchpoint the organization touched.