CLIENT
SPOTIFY

CLIENT'S TEAM
MICHELLE PHAM
SHAHIN HAGHJOU
DAVID KARLSON

SERVICES
IDENTITY DESIGN
BRAND GUIDELINE

TEAM
ANANT AHUJA
PRADHYUMN KAG
HINAL KIKANI
ARSH BEDI
MIRA MALHOTRA
PRIYAL SURANA

Cautioning the city with two colours that signify the streets, caution tapes, and that famous hip hop tune!

THE SITUATION

Rap 91 was a curated playlist on Spotify of the best of hip-hop in India. A fast growing genre, starting from street culture, it was brewing a loyal and passionate following.

In the past ten years or so, hip-hop culture burst on the scene in India, primarily starting from the slums and suburbs of Mumbai. Since then it had spread far and wide in the country, from Punjab to the North East, and even down south in Tamil Nadu.

We were invited to design an identity for the playlist. The question we explored in the spotlight was - while different cultures and languages embody their own familiar elements, could there be a common language for them all?

WHAT FOLLOWED

Our first thought on the identity was colour. Black & Yellow.

Taking inspiration from the streets, we sprayed up the lockup with a hand done spray paint effect that showed a bold play of alternation between the two colours in the background and foreground.

The lockup was repeated and rotated to create a pattern and a frame. We further played up the concept by creating a caution tape like graphic element that emphasised the feeling of danger on the streets.

Keeping in mind Spotify’s unified design system and boundaries, photography and visual compositions were key to make the playlist stand out.

Our visuals were fresh with artist photograph cut-outs imposed against select background colours, featuring our logo in all its forms - horizontal strip, pattern and frame.

THE OUTCOME

We meticulously slapped the identity onto motion graphics, beasty festival merch, space branding, posters and billboards, and a caution tape ofcourse!