Codemasters is a British video game developer and publisher founded in 1986, best known for racing franchises such as Colin McRae Rally, DiRT, GRID and the official F1 series. The company’s visual identity has undergone a significant transformation, most notably in 2007 when it introduced a new corporate identity and logo.
Design and History
In May 2007, Codemasters unveiled a new corporate identity that would be introduced across the company, including in-game placements, packaging and marketing materials. The identity was developed in association with Branded, a strategic brand consultancy, with the logo and typeface designed by Clinic, a creative communication specialist. The new design first appeared on titles scheduled for release in June 2007, including Hospital Tycoon, Colin McRae: DiRT and Overlord.[1][2]
The 2007 mark consists of interlocking block letters “C” and “M”, rendered in a three-dimensional form. The letters were described by design observers as being “interlocked” and “three-dimensional” in construction.[3][4] The logo was filed as a trademark with the USPTO in September 2007, with the mark description noting the interlocking block letters “C” and “M”.[3]
Prior to this redesign, Codemasters had used a different logo featuring a blue circle with a yellow outline and the company name written in a fancy yellow font, a mark that dated from the company’s early years in the late 1980s and early 1990s.[5]
Meaning and Symbolism
Codemasters CEO Rod Cousens described the new logo as “bold and enigmatic,” noting that it “can flex its creative muscles.” He explained that the logo “doesn’t have a set colour; it may appear in a wide range of colour or tonal combinations,” and that it “always has an element of the maverick about it, which reinforces the creativity and playfulness of Codemasters as a whole.”[1]
Nicola Hewitt, Director of Marketing at Codemasters, elaborated on the identity’s flexibility: “The identity can have different moods, depending on whether it is working or playing. When at work, such as corporate literature, it is very sophisticated, confident and businesslike. However, when it is at play and being creative, on packaging and marketing materials, it’s out to have more fun, try new things and to be enjoyed by everyone who comes into contact with it.”[1]
Typography and Design
The 2007 identity included a custom typeface for the Codemasters wordmark, designed by Clinic alongside the logo itself. The type was described as “realised” by Clinic, the creative communication specialist responsible for the logo and type design.[1][2] The logo was designed to be used in various colours to reflect the company’s variety of communications, rather than being locked to a single brand colour.[6]
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