London and Berlin-based design agency Bureau for Visual Affairs (BfVA) has created a new visual identity for the annual celebration of 'European internet excellence', The Lovie Awards.
The new look and logo are used across all of The Lovie Awards' digital touchpoints, including its website and social platforms. BfVA looked to Dutch design for inspiration, manifesting through bold typography, which comes to life in the smart abstracted forms of the wordmark and a flexible grid system that allows the winning work to take centre stage. The vibrant colour palette uses shades of purple and a vivid orange that calls to mind historical graphic design greats like standards manuals.
In creating the new look, BfVA kept the idea of 'work that brings joy' – one of the Lovies' key judging criteria – front of mind. It's also firmly in keeping with the concept of all things internet, with the identity centring on a heart icon: 'the universal symbol of good internet content,' as The Lovies Awards puts it.
The organisation adds that BfVA has also incorporated "playful wordmarks and symbols" into the new logo in other to underscore the idea of a "borderless community" and the "fluidity of European internet culture".
"It was our responsibility to reimagine the brand and create a new identity that reflects the power of the internet to make positive change in the world," says Bureau for Visual Affairs founder Simon Piehl. "We've channelled the energy, progressivism and democratic nature of the awards to create a new home for audiences to discover the best of Europe's internet.
"We've intentionally removed the packaging and noise to let the work of the entrants and the content speak for themselves whilst maintaining the joyful expression that runs through The Lovies' brand DNA."
The Lovies' presenting body, The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS), describes the awards as focusing on culture, technology and business. In its 13th year, categories include Apps, Film & Video, Podcasts, Social, Websites & Mobile Sites, Web3 & XR. This year sees the introduction of Beyond Categories, which was added to recognise "outstanding European digital projects with the potential to positively impact global society" across anything from cities to education, climate and community.
Other new categories for this year include Responsible Technology, Best Use of AI or Machine Learning, Sustainability & Environment, Email Newsletter Excellence and more. This year's awards will also feature a brand new 'special achievement award' for European Publisher of the Year, which will recognise the publisher with the most finalists and wins across the competition.
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