All Grown Up.
ONE FM has come a long way since its inception in 2001. The radio station has undergone 3 name changes and 4 visual identity revamps, with its newest look announced a day before National Day this year.
"ONE FM 91.3 is an English music station playing all the greatest hits from the 80s’ to present. The fun and dynamic station targets forward-thinking professionals aged 40 and above, appealing to both genders with a rising target of females."The Most Generous Station
A glance at ONE FM's social media pages would tell you that they organise contests and giveaways frequently, with many ONE FM branded merch up for grabs for those who want them.
I see the usual suspects such as umbrellas and tees, but they also give away unconventional (and seemingly random) merch.
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| Isn't this inauspicious |
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| Wondered who thought of the shot glass idea - impressive! |
Before: Energised and Expandable
I like the old workmark - the rigid typeface plus the visual effect conveys an energetic feel without the need for any animation. One can likely guess that this a radio station logo without seeing the words. While cliche generally frowned upon, this logo beautifully pays tribute to the station logos of yesteryear, something which I'm sure the target demographic appreciates.
Having said that, the logo could do without its corny tagline "Real Music", which is not even its full tagline. "Real Music, Real Hits" sounds super defensive and it reminds me of an elderly person rambling on about how music in the 'good ol' days' were much better than <insert 2000's music genres here>.
Despite this wonderful logo, very few brand applications were made. Instead, like the case of their old merch, they simply slapped the logo on any object, thereafter calling it merch, much like how branded luxury goods are designing their products nowadays.
On the marketing front, ONE FM brings eccentric material to the table by having tongue-in-cheek campaigns such as Make Radio Great Again.
Brightly coloured ads can be frequently found on SPH newspapers, featuring the same playfulness as the logo and marketing campaigns.
These ads are eye-catching and portrays ONE FM as a fun, light-hearted radio station. The only critique is the lack of synergy between the logo and the rest of the graphic. Perhaps that's why there is a need for a rebrand?
After: High SES Classiness
The new logo features an elegant slab serif typeface, with little nice touches such as the bottom serif of '3' doubling as a decimal for the radio frequency, and the flow between 'n' and '1'. While retaining some form of playfulness with the wave, using this font signals a shift in tone to a more classy, glamorous one.
As for brand applications, this identity thankfully goes beyond the default logo pattern. The typography-based visual identity is a first for Singapore radio (correct me if I'm wrong) and it is refreshing to see.
I hope ONE FM can be more daring in its use of typography for future applications. The slab serif is beaming with personality, they have a nice colour palette, and from the pre-rebrand print ads, a great creative team working on marketing. These 2 ads are just a glimpse of what's to come, and I am looking forward to see how this identity develops.
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As for brand applications, this identity thankfully goes beyond the default logo pattern. The typography-based visual identity is a first for Singapore radio (correct me if I'm wrong) and it is refreshing to see.
I hope ONE FM can be more daring in its use of typography for future applications. The slab serif is beaming with personality, they have a nice colour palette, and from the pre-rebrand print ads, a great creative team working on marketing. These 2 ads are just a glimpse of what's to come, and I am looking forward to see how this identity develops.
Eh, don't bluetick leh, leave a comment. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram as well!
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