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Communicate leadership

As the leading news and information service in the Twin Cities,  Star Tribune is at the heart of the community, committed to delivering the news and information Minnesotans want — when and where they want it. With the largest news gathering organization in the Midwest, a strong executive team, and significant awards,  Star Tribune is intelligent, respected, essential, and embedded in the community.

Yet the brand was out of sync with the prestige of the product.

We partnered with the executive team to clarify what the brand represented and determine a strong, strategic position. Then we set about creating a brand refresh — energizing and polishing the brand, internally and externally. It was time for a boost of energy, even a bit of braggadocio.  Star Tribune wanted refreshed visuals, a new tagline, strong consistency, more style. It was time to start behaving as one of Minnesota’s most meaningful brands.

 

Our Client

The Star Tribune is read by 1.4 million adults every week in print and online — reaching more consumers than any other Minnesota media brand. In 2013, the company enjoyed exceptional successes, recording key gains in circulation and earning two Edward R. Murrow Awards, a Gerald Loeb Award, and two Pulitzer Prize Awards.

Our Work

  • brand refresh
  • brand positioning
  • tagline
  • brand symbol
  • social media icons
  • video bumper
  • brand standards
  • brand playbook
  • employment brand update
  • recruitment brand update
Social media icons

A modern brand for the digital age

We created this strong new symbol for Star Tribune social media — exploring dozens and dozens of options and configurations as part of our process. We then worked with the Star Tribune internal creative team to develop a system of digital and social media icons for use on all  properties.

Larsen brought out the best in us, and in our brand. Now we have a new attitude, a new style, a new playbook. Thank you.
— Steve Yaeger Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations, Star Tribune
brand playbook

Advantages of a brand playbook

Confidence

Here are the first words on the first page of the Star Tribune brand playbook:  “If you’re reading this, it’s your responsibility to communicate our brand, confidently and consistently.”

Clarity

How, exactly, will Star Tribune express the brand visually and through words? This playbook provides the answers and protects brand equity.

Consistency

With a brand playbook,  Star Tribune has a system in place to confidently control the visual appearance of the brand.

Efficiency

A brand playbook helps Star Tribune creative teams be efficient. No more guesswork. No more creating everything from scratch. On-brand materials can now be created in far less time.

Before-After Icons

Before-after icons

We transitioned Star Tribune from an abbreviation — an “st” contained in a circle housed within a square — to an simple, but iconic green star. The new brand symbol appears on all Star Tribune products and channels. Previously, the brand had been inconsistently and variously expressed.