The Field Museum Unveils New Brand Identity by Leo Burnett

At a time when there’s a widespread assault on science, Leo Burnett and its Department of Design created the new brand identity for The Field Museum—widely known as a museum of natural history, but unknown for its deep, 125-year global leadership in the sciences. The new work embodies the strength, vigor and sense of responsibility the Field Museum brings to its work, and the planet, every day.

The rebranding challenges people to take a fresh look at the Museum, its purpose and reason for being: “Earth We’re On It.”

The Field is not just changing its visual identity; rather, it is declaring its mission, which is to fuel a journey of discovery, enabling solutions for a brighter future. Watch the rebrand video below

The new logo is inspired by discovery. Formally it’s arranged much like a square grid used to divide an archaeological excavation site. The letterforms are purposely sans-serif, energetically arranged and bold. Like the Earth, the color is blue. The square is both a foundation and the building block. This is a declaration of history, permanence and a commitment to make a positive impact on our world.

The Field Museum is known to many as the home of SUE the dinosaur, and thousands of ancient specimens and artifacts. What people don’t know is that for the past 125 years, the Field Museum has forged trails as a scientific leader and will continue to do so for years to come. With more than 150 scientists on staff, the Field Museum is involved in groundbreaking research all over the world, while maintaining one of the most expansive natural-history museum collections in existence. 

The visual identity speaks to these initiatives and embody a complete makeover of how the museum represents itself. These changes will be present not just in the museum’s advertising, signage and branded gear, but also in what visitors see and experience when they walk through the museum’s doors.