Hermes rebrands as Evri with 194,481 different logos

It’s rare to see creative innovation in a branding project, let alone from a brand as established as Hermes. But this morning (18 March), the courier rebranded, under the new name Evri, with an overhauled visual identity from Superunion accompanied by a brand campaign created by VCCP. The rebrand is almost entirely typographically-driven; Superunion has worked with Monotype, utilising variable font intelligence to create 194,481 bespoke logo artworks for its brand estate and delivery fleet. The unique blend of tech and type means that every vehicle across the Evri fleet is able to sport its own logo.

Essentially, the mega foundry and brand agency have created a headline typeface in which each default character appears stylistically unique across Evri’s comms. The release from Superunion explains: “Each character (A-Z) is accompanied by 20 OpenType alternate glyphs, all of which are completely different with their own unique display design. The set also includes numerals 0-9 with four style variant sets and a single default set of punctuation and symbols.”

The release says Monotype worked with Superunion’s creative technology team in Hong Kong and Singapore to create the innovative generative tool. The OpenType style-alt typeface means the brand can generate 194,481 logo combinations for a fleet of 5000 courier vans, taking a bold step away from standard concerns around font ownership and memorability towards fresh branding territory.

The use of a diverse range of typefaces across a singular identity is a trend Monotype outlined in its own Type Trends report this month. Either the foundry was offering us a sneak peek into what was to come, or the project offers further proof of the trend’s staying power this year. Either way, it presents a welcome opportunity for other brands to follow suit and opt for riskier designs on upcoming rebrands.

The rebrand is also marked by the company’s first TV advertising campaign, featuring a 30” hero film directed by Bafta nominee Charlotte Regan, created by VCCP London. The campaign, entitled New Arrival, is centred around the relationship delivery drivers build with their customers, aiming to highlight the different elements of Evri’s “human and community-driven parcel delivery business”, says the release. It debuts tonight with hero peak spots during Gogglebox and Coronation Street. Media strategy, planning and buying has additionally been orchestrated by Mediacom.