Vice Media Group, commonly known as VICE, is a media company that grew from a Montreal-based punk magazine into a global digital media and broadcasting operation. The brand’s visual identity is built around a bold, uppercase wordmark that has remained a consistent element across its various platforms and properties.
Design and History
VICE traces its origins to 1994, when the free punk magazine Voice of Montreal was founded in Montreal, Quebec. The publication was later renamed Vice in 1996.[1]
In 2022, VICE Media Group underwent a brand identity refresh. The project was developed by internal VICE creative directors in collaboration with the Swiss creative studio NIZAR KAZAN + CO.[2] The refresh was recognized with an ADC Award shortlist in the Brand Identity category in April 2022.[3]
The current VICE Media Group logo is a simple, bold wordmark. A version of the logo is available as an SVG file sourced from the official VICE Media Group website.[4]
In addition to the static wordmark, VICE has produced a series of animated logo IDs. The VICE global logo ID project is a collection of animated VICE logos showcasing artists from around the world, with the goal of creating an ongoing collaborative channel that elevates the brand’s spirit while celebrating the global creative community.[5] The project was shortlisted for a D&AD Award in 2022.[6]
Typography and Design
As part of the 2022 brand identity refresh, a custom typeface family called TWK VICE Grotesk was designed. The typeface family consists of six styles based on the Lausanne typeface, plus four entirely new condensed styles. According to the design team, the goal was to give VICE a unique voice without changing it completely, resulting in a typeface that is both vernacular and sophisticated.[2] The fonts are used globally across the many channels and brands of the VICE Media Group, including the website, social networks, corporate materials, advertising, and the magazine.[2]
The Lausanne typeface, on which TWK VICE Grotesk is based, was designed in Switzerland by Nizar Kazan and his team for the TYPE.WELTKERN platform. It is described as a sophisticated sans serif font with an ultra-organic aesthetic, legible in small sizes and full of refined details in display sizes.[7] The VICE Grotesk font system was also shortlisted for an ADC Award in the Type Fact/Font System category.[8]
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