The Brand Inquirer

From fashion to immersive design? The 2026 Met Gala environmental design was developed by event designer @raulavilainc, alongside filmmaker @bazluhrmann and set designer @derekmclane. Drawing from Renaissance design, the interiors reimagine this year’s theme, Fashion is Art, as a romantic Northern Italian garden, placing guests inside an immersive living artwork that extends from the red carpet through the interior spaces and into the dining experience. The carpet introduces the Italian garden concept from the moment of arrival. Hand-painted to resemble an aged stone pathway, it features a warm tan base with soft patches of moss green, framed by cascading wisteria across the tent’s ceiling and walls, turning the entrance into a dreamlike spring garden. Inside the Great Hall, the concept unfolds into a dramatic centerpiece: a 26-foot-wide full moon suspended above the space where the museum’s information desk typically sits. The moon hovers over cypress trees and abundant floral arrangements, turning the hall into an ethereal, secret garden. The Northern Italian garden concept continues into the Temple of Dendur dining space, where guests enter through a slightly decayed garden wall. Tables are styled as lush still lifes with centerpieces of real fruit including pears, pomegranates, and grapes, paired with seasonal flowers, while custom green-and-off-white striped tablecloths and garden-style chairs designed by Raúl Àvila reinforce the immersive experience. The menu, created by @olivierchengcatering, unfolds as a three-course progression. First, the “garden” introduces a burrata with green tomato salad. Then, the “statue” takes form with a sculptural rack of lamb served with morel panna cotta. Finally, the “silhouette” closes the experience with a trio of desserts inspired by fashion forms from Alexander McQueen, Robert Wun, and Christian Dior. #metgala #met #metgala2026 #interiordesign #eventdesign #branding #graphicdesign #fashion #spacedesign #enviromentaldesign

From stock assets to AI creation? @freepik, the popular stock design resource platform launched in 2010, is rebranding into Magnific. This is more than a name and logo change, @magnific_ai is an all-in-one AI creative production platform spanning image, video, 3D, audio, and collaborative tools. It is supported by a library of over 250 million stock assets and powered by leading generative models including Nano Banana, Flux, Seedream, GPT-based tools, and Kling. The platform is positioned around the idea of removing barriers in the creative process, aiming to help users move more easily from concept to execution. The names comes from @creatorsmagnific, an AI-powered tool designed to enhance the quality of images acquired by Freepik in 2024. #ai #aiimage #aivideo #freepik #branding #graphicdesign #logo #aiart

Made you smile? @Mirinda has introduced a refreshed visual identity based on its new global platform, “Smile Please,” inviting people to see the brighter side of life. Designed with Gen Z in mind, the updated look, developed in-house by @pepsico_design and led by @grenanavizzotto, draws from iconic cues from the ‘60s–‘90s and brings flavor to the center. The wordmark is reimagined in a bold retro sans-serif style with thick, geometric letterforms, where the dot on the “i” subtly forms a smile. Designed to adapt seamlessly across markets, the identity translates across languages, while a color-shifting shadow ties each flavor variant together. The new packaging becomes the centerpiece of the identity, where the smile-shaped “i” tittle evolves into a semicircular form that becomes the foundation for bold, expressive fruit graphics. These oversized forms crown each can and label, supported by a dynamic color palette and the custom “Burst” typeface by @naipefoundry. Motion design by @matvoyce #packagingdesign #graphicdesign #branding #brandidentity #logodesign #logotype

Brought back memories? @xbox is updating its logo with a refreshed look that brings back its original green identity, featuring a glowing glass finish, moving away from the flat 2019 version while keeping the core icon that has been unchanged since 2005. The change is part of @microsoft’s new CEO Asha Sharma plans to drop the Microsoft Gaming name and consolidate its video game divisions under the Xbox brand, this includes Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda Softworks, Activision, Blizzard Entertainment, and King. Xbox owns world-renowned franchises like Call of Duty, Warcraft, Candy Crush, Halo, Minecraft, The Elder Scrolls, Doom, Diablo, Forza, and Gears of War. #logotype #branding #xbox #gaming #microsoft #graphicdesign

Are brand manifestos real? Climate advocacy group, @action.speaks.louder and creative studio Serious People, have created a more sustainable copy of @lululemon to highlight the gap between the brand’s original manifesto, “what we do to the earth, we do to ourselves,” and its reality of rising emissions due to the fact that most of its manufacturing is powered by fossil fuels like coal. In 2024, the pollution linked to Lululemon’s supply chain increased by 14% compared to 2023. Since 2020, its total emissions have increased by about 93.5%, almost double. It also produces slightly more emissions for every dollar of profit, up about 3% year over year. “Mumumelon” products copy Lululemon’s designs but, in contrast, were made in factories powered by 100% renewable electricity and by workers earning a living wage, including small family businesses in the UK and Pakistan. They even developed a plan to fully electrify our supply chain by 2040. The pieces are not for sale, with only 43 made for the campaign, all of which will be worn by the team behind the project. Lululemon, global performance apparel, footwear, and accessories company, has publicly committed to achieving a 50% renewable electricity target across its core suppliers by 2030. #branding #graphicdesign #globalwarming #climatechange #sustainability #fashion #SustainableFashion

When is simple too simple? @chrysler has introduced a new logo as part of its transition to an all-electric brand by 2028. The updated design features an expanded, squared wordmark alongside an abstract interpretation of the brand’s winged emblem, originally referencing the winged sandals of the Roman god Mercury, a symbol of speed. Initially teased on concept cars in 2022 and 2024, the redesign follows a broader industry trend toward flat, simplified marks that translate well across digital screens and enable illuminated applications, such as LED backlit badges on vehicle exteriors. #branding #graphicdesign #logodesign #visualidentity #logotype #cars #electricvehicle #chrysler

Can value look great? That is what @walmart, in partnership with @jkrglobal, is aiming to prove with the retailer’s largest redesign in its history, a full overhaul of its 10,000 private label Great Value products. The new design system was designed to be consistent, clear, and intuitive across thousands of individual items. It includes a redrawn Great Value logo that removes the oval container and shadows from the previous design, introducing a bespoke typeface and a deeper, richer shade of blue that gives the mark a more refined presence. The logo sits within a deep blue container on packaging, acting as the primary label, supported by new illustration and photography styles that improve clarity and shelf recognition. #branding #graphicdesign #visualidentity #packagingdesign #logo

Coachella, the brands’ festival? Coachella has grown over the years from an indie music festival into a cultural powerhouse—bringing together celebrities, musicians, and, of course, brands looking to connect with audiences through one-of-a-kind experiences. This year was no exception, with food, beauty, and fashion leading the way. Brands like @always_brand @secretdeodorant @methodproducts @neutrogena @wavytalkofficial @medicube_global_official and @elfcosmetics created a haven for beauty, quick makeup retouches, and grooming. Clothing brands like @gap and @skylrk dropped exclusive Coachella merch, while @pinterest @americanexpress and @barbie joined in with DIY and customizable accessories to complete the look. Food and drink brands like @magnumicecream @cocacola @electrolit @heineken_us @starbucks and @aperolspritzofficial gave attendees a way to refresh with drinks and special menus, all combined with music and photo ops. And this is just the tip of the iceberg—I’m only listing the brands inside the festival, but many others take advantage of the moment with their own private parties and influencer events. Agencies are tagged on their respective photos PS Waiting for my invite for next year 😉 #branding #coachella #coachella2026 #brandexperience #brandactivation #experientialmarketing #visualidentity #designinspiration #boothdesign #musicfestival #musicfestival

How do you design for tradition? @tostitos has unveiled a new look designed by the @pepsico_design team that repositions the brand around tradition, craft, and connection around food, emphasizing how its chips are made using high-quality whole corn kernels and traditionally made masa. It’s worth noting that its parent company PepsiCo has also recently redesigned Lay's to feel more natural. Tostitos’ logo shifts from a sans serif typeface to a serif style with flared stroke terminals inspired by Mexican cantina aesthetics. The updated identity includes both straight and curved lockups, with the curved version placing the “T” figures sharing chips more prominently at the top, alongside a more muted color palette. The packaging redesign replaces bold graphics with a more artisanal look, bringing clean-label attributes to the forefront. The layout retains the chip-shaped window from the previous design, now more clearly defined, dipping into a bowl of salsa and framed by corn illustrations and neutral, earthy tones. #branding #brandidentity #logodesign #graphicdesign #creativedirection #brandstrategy #logoinspiration #visualidentity #branddesign #logotype #typography #designinspiration #brandinspo #graphicdesigner #packaging #tostitos

Best design of the year? Brazil and @futurebrandsp have created a new brand to promote the Brazilian Amazon as a tourism destination across its nine states, highlighting one of the largest biomes on Earth. The identity is built using real geographic coordinates, with each letter of the alphabet derived from satellite images of the Amazon River and its tributaries, forming a logotype shaped by the region’s navigable waters (Refined by @naipefoundry) The system was co-created with artists from all nine states, bringing together illustration, photography, and audiovisual work to reflect the cultural diversity of a territory larger than India. Artists: Cristo: @_____cristo Winy Tapajós @winnytapajos Malu Menezes @maluanezes Beatriz Belo @beademilho Odir Abreu @pintor_odir Ori Junior @ori.junior Bob Menezes @bobmenezes_ Marahu Filmes @marahufilmes Rogerio Pedro @rogeriopedroart The initiative aims to encourage exploration of the region by supporting local activity across tourism, gastronomy, agriculture, arts, dance, crafts, and music. #typograhy #font #graphicdesign #branding #typeface #lettering #designinspiration #design #brazil #amazonia #amazonriver #amazonrainforest

What should a podcast look like? @netflix has introduced a new visual identity for its video podcast vertical, created by @los_york, to set the format apart from traditional Netflix shows. The identity puts conversation at the center, with a modular system built around typography using Netflix Sans and a custom quotation mark symbol, designed to support dozens of shows while feeling unmistakably Netflix.  #branding #brandidentity #logodesign #graphicdesign #creativedirection #brandstrategy #logoinspiration #visualidentity #branddesign #logotype #typography #designinspiration #brandinspo #graphicdesigner #netflix #netflixpodcast

The best ad they've ever had? @nutella got the ultimate unpaid ad during a live broadcast of @nasaartemis on April 6, when a jar floated through the Orion spacecraft just before the crew’s lunar flyby. The video quickly went viral with hundreds of thousands of likes and views, with both NASA and Nutella weighing in on the accidental ad. The Nutella jar was brought along as a personal item by one of the astronauts or crew members. Other brands like @honest_beauty have also unintentionally received shoutouts during the mission. #branding #branddesign #designinspiration #advertising #graphicdesigne #marketing #nasa #artemisii #artemis2 #space