NEMO Science Museum’s new logo is causing friction and raising questions

This week, NEMO Science Museum unveiled its new corporate identity, a new campaign, and a new rooftop exhibition.

By opening a new rooftop exhibition, introducing a new visual identity and starting a new campaign, NEMO Science Museum is positioning itself as the number one institute making science and technology accessible for a wider audience. 

Family and activity museum
NEMO Science Museum is NEMO’s best known activity, but the organization is responsible for many more activities, names, and brands. One of which is the popular platform for knowledge Kennislink (knowledge link).

NEMO is known as the family and activity museum about science and technology, housed in Renzo Piano’s extraordinary building close to Amsterdam Central Station. 

But NEMO is much more than a museum. Its aim is to show how fascinating, fun, and useful science and technology are, through schools, lectures, festivals and online. In order to get the best possible use out of all these different activities and brands, it was important to unify them.

Brand strategy, positioning and corporate identity
After a selection procedure, Studio Dumbar and Proof were chosen to create a new foundation for NEMO. Dumbar was asked to create the brand identity and corporate identity, and Proof was responsible for NEMO’s positioning.

Dumbar is now the third design agency in a row of established names to design a visual identity for NEMO. Anthon Beeke was responsible for the first logo, which was centred around Renzo Piano’s building. Followed by EdenSpiekermann, who restyled that logo.

The collaboration between Dumbar and Proof led to one recognizable brand, and one visual style for NEMO Science Museum and NEMO Kennislink. Its implementation is still in progress but the new corporate identity can already be found on their own website (developed by Fabrique). Kennislink’s website, for instance, is still under development.

Nemo inspires, activates and generates attention
The starting point for Studio Dumbar is the premise that NEMO inspires, activates, and generates attention. As an icon for science and technology, NEMO is: intriguing, surprising, innovative, multi-faceted, multi-dimensional, playful, and cutting edge. Dumbar opted for an outspoken style. The logo is a square tile in which the letters NEMO are depicted. 

The designers chose a rather bold logo and some equally bold colors: black and fluorescent green. It’s almost activistic. By repeating the logo, bold patterns are easily created.

The rest of the identity relies heavily on photography, graphic fields, and typography (the font used in the corporate identity is Campton). The main colors black, grey, and white are complemented with bold, full-bodied colors.

The campaign
NEMO has also just launched its new campaign in which KesselsKramer worked with some interesting contradictions, dilemmas that NEMO would love to solve such as: How can you be seen as cutting edge, while remaining fun? How can you be both accessible and scientific? How do you stay young, while working with an older audience? How do you be both popular and cultural at the same time? 

Finding answers inside the museum
KesselsKramer found the answers inside the museum itself, the starting point were the exhibits on the ground floor. Which are special. Not because they’ve tried to make science ‘cool’, but because they’re accessible and scientific, popular and cultural, fun and topical, all at the same time. The fact that science is all-encompassing and doesn’t need to be made prettier than it is, is the starting point of the campaign. Posters with graphic designs of interesting facts grab the attention of passers-by. 

The creatives at KesselsKramer really pulled off a form and language that will probably attract both young and old. It’s risky to opt for a special type of language that only attracts children. Can you ever really do it properly? Chances are you’ll get it wrong.

Statement
NEMO is making a clear statement with its new visual identity. The logo is bold, outspoken, present. It causes a little friction. Is it just right, is the typography correct, is the brand legible enough? But it’s also recognizable, personal, simple, and direct.

And isn't that what communication should be like?!

The logo is a recognizable label and a fun accent within the context of the communication NEMO demonstrates: science isn’t just for the elite, it’s not complicated or stand-offish. When it’s presented in the right way, it’s interesting for both young and old.

 It raises questions, and that’s exactly what science is about.

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This article was written by Roel Stavorinus and first published - in Dutch - on MarketingOnline. Translation: Cassandra Pizzey.