Something old, something new.
Church rebrands are hard. How did this one get it so right?
Hello, fellow pilgrim.
Today, I want to take us over to New York, where an amazing church has recently undergone a radical rebrand.
Let’s unpack why it’s worked.
A rebranding journey into the past, present and future
Church rebrands are hard.
It’s the re-brand bit that makes it complicated.
Naturally, members are going to have an affinity with the logo, colours and so on of their home church.
When all that changes… It can be painful.
I remember being part of a church that underwent a major rebrand. I’d say it took a good two years to really ‘bed in’ and be accepted by the congregation.
So, when one of my favourite churches recently came out with a fresh new look, I was interested.
To clarify, I’ve never actually attended Church of the City New York.
But around seven years ago, a mate of mine suggested this episode of their podcast:
And it spoke to me deeply. Over the years, I’ve been blessed beyond belief by the sermons put out on this podcast.
Last month, when I went to tune in, I noticed that the dark, minimalist aesthetic had been replaced by this:
And a quick glance at the website showed me that this was a full-blown rebrand.
For me, what is so clever about all this (and I can’t find any info about who actually worked on it) is the interplay between old and new.
A closer look at the podcast artwork shows an imagined front page of the New York Times covering the New York Prayer Revival of 1857-59.
On the church’s website, there are archival images of Herrnhut, the home of a 100-year, non-stop prayer vigil, and other sites of Christian revival.
The blackletter logomark looks like it’s been pulled from a classic newspaper header. Let’s not forget that ‘gospel’ literally means ‘good news’.
Alongside all this heritage, there’s a splash of the new.
Typography plays its part, but the thing I really want to highlight is colour.
Specifically, the colour #DBE100.
This tool tells me that this yellow-green is called Chartreuse Yellow. That’s one of those details that could be accidental, but probably not. Chartreuse is an alcoholic drink made by Carthusian monks since the 1700s.
But, despite the possible probable connection to ancient monasticism, this design decision is firmly about the present and the future.
The colour is not a million miles away from 2024’s Brat Green.
And it sticks out among the archival tones of black, white and sepia in the rest of the brand identity.
It seems to be saying ‘revival was then, but it also could be now’.
So, church rebrands are hard.
But for me (a distant observer, rather than a member), Church of the City New York has got it very right with this one.
Something for the journey
With all this talk of revival… This was outside London King’s Cross Station a few weeks ago:
Big blessings, all of you.
— Sam Thorogood, Pilgrimage Design
(views expressed are all solely my own)