The London Design Museum has appointed Leo Burnett as its official design partner for the museum’s final year in its current location at 28 Shad Thames in central London near Tower Bridge, where it has existed since 1989 as the world's leading museum devoted to contemporary design in all its forms, from architecture and fashion to graphics, product and industrial design. The agency won the work without a pitch.
The London Design Museum has appointed Leo Burnett as its official design partner
An artist's rendering of the exterior of the new Design Museum
Next year the museum will be shipping off to a larger site (with three times the space) on Kensington High Street in West London, which formerly housed the Commonwealth Institute. The new space will also include much improved learning facilities and free access to its permanent collection. The plans for the move were solidified back in 2011, when Sir Terence Conran's group donated £17.5 million to the museum. If Leo Burnett London have anything to say about it however, 2015 will be the year where the museum's current home (a former 1940's banana warehouse) goes out swinging, as they will be working closely with the museum to bring to life its chosen theme of optimism across multiple channels and touch points. Throughout its final year in Shad Thames, the museum, with the help of Leo Burnett, will be inviting its supporters to share their hopes and aspirations for the museum and the future of design.
The museum, with the help of Leo Burnett, will be inviting its supporters to share their hopes and aspirations for the museum
An artist's rendering of the interior of the new Design Museum
Leo Burnett’s designs will bring the optimism theme to the Museum’s full suite of communications in 2015, including all exhibition posters, postcards, print ads and London Underground ads. The new design will also become an integral part of the Museum’s retail offering. The work is inspired by the idea that optimism within the art and design world is an important frame of mind and assists us through the sometimes long journey from concept to finished work. Each execution references the design process, and is split in two, highlighting a conceptual sketch in one half to the finished product/design in the other. A logo informed by this idea was created and is used across all platforms.
The new design will become an integral part of the Museum’s retail offering
The current Design Museum at 28 Shad Thames
Josephine Chanter, The Design Museum's head of communications and external affairs, said: “The museum’s 2015 exhibition programme includes Designs of the Year, Life on Foot with Camper and Bicycles, all of which express a spirit of optimism that we wanted to capture and explore across the museum. As soon as Leo Burnett presented the half full/half empty concept and its playful applications we realised it would be a charming and forward looking way to develop the brand, coherently communicate the museum offer and reflect on our remaining time at Shad Thames.”
