Ukraine’s new place brand revamps country’s global identity

Having gone through two revolutions and a Russian invasion, Ukraine has had a rocky past. According to a study supported by the British government, the three most common adjectives associated with Ukraine are ‘corruption,’ ‘war’ and ‘revolution.’ However, as a large, diverse and relatively new country, Ukraine, by introducing a country brand, has taken the opportunity to transform its global identity.

In an effort to change the perception of Ukrainians abroad and attract more visitors to the country itself, Ukraine, for the first time in its history, has adopted a country brand. In collaboration with Kiev-based design agency Banda, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine have developed a new lively foundation for Ukraine’s presentation across the globe.

Sporting its national colours of yellow and blue, the logo, a yellow rectangle with a blue circle in the right-hand corner, expresses Ukraine’s unique national identity. The sunny yellow highlights the country’s focus on its message ‘NOW,’ while the blue icon serves as a tribute to the digital age by resembling social media notifications.

While the logo’s bright colours and clean look translate as modern, playful and inviting, the blunt typeface suggests that Ukraine can be rough around the edges and gives the brand personality. The font Ermilov, created by Ukrainian artist-constructivist Vasyl Yermilov, was specifically designed for the use of Ukraine ‘NOW.’ Followed by its tagline ‘NOW,’ the logo not only acts as a sleek visual expression of the brand’s identity but serves as a call to action each times it is featured throughout its campaign.

Versatile in application and simple in design, the logo was designed to be used for a variety of products from promotional and informational products, to buses and planes, to travel bags and stickers.