Laemmle Theatres Rebrand

REbranding, brand identity, branding

I love going to the movies, besides seeing a feature film on the big screen, a combination of the popcorn and bright neon lights make a memorable one-of-a-kind experience. I was randomly assigned to rebrand Laemmle Theatres, which is a chain of independent movie and foreign film theatres across Los Angeles, California. Currently, Laemmle is rumored to sell their theatres to Netflix and is not doing well in business, as movie-going has decreased and their current audience are people who are 50+.

My goal was to reinvent Laemmle into something fresh and modern and that will appeal to younger audiences (ages 18-25).

When designing the new logo, I had to reflect on what Laemmle means to the world. Besides being a household name, especially due to Carl Laemmle founding Universal Studios, I discovered that Laemmle is light. Light is what fuels the heart of movie theatres and shines new perspectives and experiences to others. I was inspired by the iconic movie projector and decided to add a bright pink to reflect a more modern synth-wave style. I also used crisp, tall typography to represent the iconic family and the new direction of the theatres as a whole.

Before and After

Brand Attributes

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Cinematic
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Modern
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Ground-breaking
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Cutting-edge
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Vibrant
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Fun
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Brand Strategy and Voice

After defining the main brand look, I worked on the interior and exterior of the theatre. I also invented a Laemmle cafe called, La’Bean, that would encourage conversation about movies within a movie-goers home!

Exterior and Interior

Lastly, I wanted to show how Laemmle would be marketed via posters, web, and stationery. I also redesigned their website, where the UI is simple and the background would be an interchanging set of trailers of movies showing in the theatres.

In addition, I created a streaming app where Laemmle can showcase films that they have the rights to share via a subscription service, especially to cater to their older, at-home audience.

Marketing Materials

Promotional Posters

Conclusion

After learning about the fundamentals of branding, tone, and research, my rebranding project of Laemmle truly helped me understand the importance of keeping a brand consistent and also pushing the envelope. I learned to dig deeper to discover a brand’s purpose and communicate that effectively to an audience. Ultimately, I was challenged to recreate a new experience and was successful in injecting fun and life while still retaining the core values of the original brand.