If Factory International's new branding looks familiar that's intentional. The cultural organisation, which runs Manchester International Festival and the new cultural venue Aviva Studios, brought in the design studio North and the designer Peter Saville to develop an identity that marries architectural influences with the style of the latter's work for Factory Records (see our pick of the best record label logos).
The identity also draws on the branding for previous editions of the Manchester International Festival. The result is an identity that stands out but also looks very much at home in its environment.
North and Saville's identity for Factory International draws on the Aviva Studios' sharp angles, themselves the work of Ellen van Loon at the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA). But the architectural influence also fits in perfectly with Saville's Factory Records style.
According to North, the work "builds on the legacy of Manchester International Festival since 2007, the legacy of Factory Records since 1978, and the heritage of Manchester, one of the most creative cities in the UK."
The identity is intended to provide a canvas that can evolve like the building itself, which can be adapted to different types of performances and exhibits. The font is the utilitarian Gräebenbach from Camelot, which has previously been used for the Manchester International Festival. Gräebenbach Mono Black is used in uppercase for headlines and Graebenbach Mono Bold for the website.
Factory International has launched a vinyl and film entitled Factory Works. Created by the artist Neville Gabie and musician Nabihah Iqbal with the construction team working at Aviva Studios, it blends industrial sounds with conversation and electronic music. The venue itself is opening with a Danny Boyle-directed piece called Free Your Mind, described as a "journey into The Matrix through dance and immersive design" and featuring hip hop choreography from Kenrick 'H2O' Sandy and a score from Michael 'Mikey J' Asante.
For more branding news, see our pick of the best new logos. And Peter Saville features in our guide to the famous graphic designers that everyone should know.
