Why did Studio Freight choose to operate like a mystery for so long?

The Brand Identity: For five years, Studio Freight kept its head down. The work was the priority – Netflix, Perplexity and more – but the studio itself rarely came up in conversation. Partners Clayton Fuller and Aaron Marks now describe that quietness as a kind of brand debt, one their team had been carrying long enough. The rebrand is the repayment. A new site, a new horse logo and an ethos they call brutal elegance. In this conversation, Fuller and Marks talk through the thinking behind the shift, why ‘mettle’ earns its place alongside strategy, design and experience, and what connects the clients they say yes to. TBI Hey Clayton and Aaron!

How are things at the studio? SF Never better. At the moment, it feels like we’re crossing through a BC to AD. We’ve gone through more change in the last six months than in the previous six years. For most of our history, we’ve operated like a mystery. Now, with the rebrand and the new site, we’re opening up and sharing more about the work, the thinking, and the incredible team we have here. TBI What prompted the rebrand, new site, and shift to more visibility? SF For a long time, we were just focused on the work, and it kept coming. There wasn’t much of a plan outside of work hard, care a lot, keep learning, and be nice.

And you know, pay the bills. We knew we were in brand debt, but we were growing, so it was easy to put off. We were finally ready for change for many reasons. All overdue. Most simply, we were tired of being misunderstood and overlooked, and we felt it was a massive injustice to our team. They’re sharing their time, minds and talents with us; we owe it to them to represent them and how we work together in the light that it deserves. We’re grateful to everyone we’ve worked with, but too much of our brand perception was being driven by the brand association of the clients who found us.

So we’re getting back in the driver’s seat. We were tired of being misunderstood and overlooked. We were tired of being misunderstood and overlooked. TBI What does putting yourselves out there more let Studio Freight do that operating quietly didn’t? SF We hope it’ll lead to great opportunities. We didn’t come from the industry, so we’re not deeply connected as a baseline – Aaron is our Executive Creative Director, but he started Studio Freight with zero formal design education or agency experience.

A bit shameless, but we want to work with the best, as collaborators and clients, and we simply can’t do that if we’re unknown. TBI Great Design is the Baseline. What does that mean? SF Great design alone is not enough. Success as a designer or a strategist or a developer or whatever isn’t just about making great work but managing the conditions to do great work. And that comes down to understanding the purpose, the constraints, and the people involved – and guiding them forward. This line came from a talk called ‘Designing Trust’ given by our former partner, Patrick Torres. Shoutout to PT. TBI Love the new horse logo.

What’s the story behind it? SF We wanted a logomark with narrative depth, even if it was mostly for ourselves, that was simple and beautiful enough to get as a tattoo. As we explored, we were drawn to crests and hieroglyphics, where rich histories are told with just a few combined symbols. We arrived at the story piece by piece. Horses are the original freight vehicle; they were domesticated around 3500 BC and facilitated the early commerce that globalised the world (like on the Silk Road). We also resonated with the workhorse association. But working hard is not enough, nor is it a story.

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The article discusses a significant rebranding effort by Studio Freight, which is impactful for the design industry, while also presenting a moderately novel approach to brand visibility and engagement that is highly relevant to brand strategy professionals.