CJ ENM

BRAND POSITIONING:

Found in Translation

The rise of streaming platforms has heralded a new golden age of content. Rapidly growing demand for it has led to an expansion and diversification in tastes and a more global outlook, especially in the US. Asian content, once considered niche or “exotic”, is being discovered and sought out by bigger and broader international audiences. Korean entertainment in particular is leading this change, producing new content whose appeal spans borders, generations and backgrounds, and is actively shaping the global mainstream.

BRAND NARRATIVE:

Finding the familiar within the unfamiliar – and the thrill that comes with it

Long considered “exotic fare” by audiences in the West, Asian cinema was previously perceived to be limited to the pure fantasy of kung fu movies and historical epics. But then came a watershed moment: in 2020, Parasite, a Korean-language film, won four Oscars, including for best film and best director. This signalled a fundamental shift in tastes – the world is waking up to the treasures that can be found in translation. Audiences today are increasingly open to stories from other markets and platforms like Netflix no longer differentiate between what originates from Seoul, Istanbul or Hollywood. In this evolving cultural context, CJ ENM offers a remarkable opportunity for content partners and Western audiences alike. It has created something special in the Asian market and the time is ripe to export its approach to the world stage, cementing its position among the biggest producers in Hollywood. For audiences, CJ ENM offers the opportunity to discover the deeply human – and therefore something deeply familiar – amid what might at first seem unknown.

BRAND TAGLINE:

Untold Originals

Untold speaks of the undiscovered – the stories created by CJ ENM that the world has yet to come upon – and of the incalculable, limitless potential unlocked by CJ ENM’s methods and approach. Originals here has a dual significance – it refers to something unique as well as creative. Taken together, Untold Originals describes the limitless stories and original experiences that exist to be discovered. It is the promise and potential that CJ ENM brings to new partners and audiences around the world.

VISUAL IDENTITY REFRESHED

MMBP & Associates transformed and codified the CJ ENM visual identity to resonate with international audiences and markets. The logo was refined and a system of brand patterns, glyphs and frames was created to bring clear and distinctive visual direction to the company’s print, digital, out-of-home and broadcast communication.

BRAND GLYPH SYSTEMS

These glyphs serve two purposes: they act as information graphics that help to organise (either as typographical symbols or punctuation marks) and they function as a distinctive and instantly recognisable graphic marque. Used in this way, they are an asset that furthers brand awareness.

COMMUNICATION DESIGN

MMBP & Associates created a series of communication materials to introduce CJ ENM to international markets, including print brochures and out-of-home posters, as well as trade-show visuals and digital advertising.

IDENT

A luscious, gradient-soaked wave ripples into life, offering glimpses of overlapping light and colour, moving in a continuous forward motion until the logo appears at the crest of the final wave. Dancing around the main action are iridescent textures that slip and spin over the magic wave’s surface with controlled levels of choreographed chaos, enveloped in a lush glow and colour effects.

The sound culminates in a new and easily recognisable mnemonic for the logo reveal. The mnemonic itself is a shimmering clean celebration of the brand, punctuated by an open, clear tone that’s full of warmth. Plenty of space is included in the score to provide soft moments of suspense and drama, as well as very subtle arrangements to complement the rising crests of the wave.