Since Mad Head Games was founded in 2011, they have been known for a logo that has been more or less the same from the start, with some minor tweaks. Towards the end of 2020, we had announced they were joining the global giant Embracer Group. Working on a new visual identity followed. This is the first major change in line with the big business change: the transition from casual games to action games for PC and consoles.
What does this mean? A completely new visual identity (logo, colors, font). All communication channels have been rebranded, and perhaps the most important piece of news is their newly launched site. Complete design and copywriting were done in-house.
We talked about all this with Danil Vukičević, their Communications Manager.
SGA: What are you trying to communicate with the new visual identity? Are you still mad heads?
Danil: We wanted our visual identity to really reflect who we are now, so that our audience can more easily understand. We are mostly known for the casual games we developed until recently. However, that’s in our past.
Last year we completed a multi-year process of transforming our studio into action game developers for PCs and consoles: this summer we released our latest HOPA and mobile titles, and at the end of the year we successfully completed an internal mentorship program in which the latest generation of “casual” colleagues trained and prepared to work on one of the two major titles we are currently developing for PC and consoles.
We are still Mad Heads, an unconventional team that enjoys pushing the boundaries of the regional gamedev scene – we have matured a little for this full decade of existence. The release of 66 games did not dampen the flames of our creativity. On the contrary, it burns brighter than ever and we believe that our new visual identity faithfully represents the studio we have evolved into.
“The boy from the old logo has grown up in the process of transforming our studio, but the flame of creativity is burning brighter than ever.”
SGA: How important is visual identity in the gaming industry?
Danil: If we agree that its purpose is to leave a certain impression on the audience, inform it about the nature of the brand and unite many aspects of business through visual representation – then we can probably agree that visual identity is very important. Impressive and appropriate aesthetics is something that is highly valued in gaming… and as this industry brings together extremely passionate developers and gamers, then the nuances make a big difference. In our case, the new identity certainly more adequately represents who we are and what we do, and we believe that it resonates much better with our audience.
SGA: What awaits visitors of the new site?
Danil: The primary target group of our new site is people who are interested in becoming part of the Mad Head Games team and that is why we tried to primarily present:
- who we are and what are the main characteristics of our study
- what projects we are currently working on
- the most impressive benefits of working with us
This is the first iteration of the site and we will cyclically enrich it with new content and sections. As the Dragon-Ball-inspired-meme reads: “This Isn’t Even My Final Form” 🙂 Bonus: although we have transformed, we wanted to save our casual era from oblivion, so the new site has a “legacy” section which leads to the old site.
SGA: How important is a visual identity within the employer branding context?
Danil: Although it cannot be said that visual identity is key, visual impact at least contributes to recognizability and to some extent influences the formation of the overall impression of the employer. It is a form, while the essence is what we as an employer offer to team members: working conditions, working on games that most of us would like to play, unique culture, numerous benefits… Although for a good employer brand we primarily focus on the essence, it’s not bad to make the form as good as possible as well.