Netflix & The Stack

It seems like Netflix’s new global brand identity has been popping up in many of my design-related emails the past couple days, so I decided to check-out what all the fuss was about. Since the brand is so broad and has become much more popular in recent years with their original series domination, they hired Gretel to rebrand and unify everything. Something cool to note is that they did not change the logo – just the material and communication pieces. Gretel’s solution? Something they coined, “The Stack.” It is: “A visual metaphor and an identity system in one. It implies both the infinite, ever-changing catalogue and the custom-curated selections that make up the core of the Netflix service.”

Here’s Gretel’s Full Description:

Our solution: The Stack,

The Stack is a visual metaphor and an identity system in one. It’s an endless, living catalogue of shows and movies. The stack implies two ideas at the heart of the service: selection and curation. Netflix is both catalogue and curator, calling forth and constantly updating selections custom-tailored to users.

As an identity it’s distinctive, clear, infinitely variable and easy-to-use. It can scale to any size and translate to any platform. It works in motion, print, digital and out-of-home. It’s just as effective in Times Square as in Powerpoint. It connects everything the brand touches, internally and externally, and the brand ‘volume’ can easily be turned up and down as needed.

Watch:

Netflix Branding: Brand Hub from Gretel on Vimeo.

The rebrand seems to be very celebrated among designers as far as I can read right now. For a brand that was kind of all over the place and without a clear home in the market, this seems to really tighten everything up, moving it into a strong future as a company with a real presence.  In addition to implementing The Stack into promotional material and processes, they came up with the new tagline to go along with it, “See What’s Next.” They even integrated the re-brand slowly over time so that audiences wouldn’t be shocked by the change. 

Check it out. I think it’s pretty awesome and designed very thoughtfully, even when it comes to the balance of information on different “cards” in The Stack. I love that they crop the logo but still keep it recognizable in some cases. It’s just so versatile. I think it really brings home the point that simple is smart. 

What do you guys think about The Stack and the new identity? I have never heard of naming your brand concept before – but it’s an interesting tactic and a catchy thing for bloggers to talk about, for sure. Have you ever seen anything else like that (naming your branding tactic)? The only other thing that comes to mind since I spent so much time with it, is Airbnb – they actually named their logo the Bélo and it has a clear community/visual-communication concept/purpose behind it.