Animation studio Golden Wolf rebrands with graffiti-inspired identity and, er, a psychic hotline

London-based animation studio Golden Wolf launched in 2013 and has since expanded to New York, worked with Nike, Disney and Adult Swim, got nominated for an Emmy, and perhaps most impressive of all, garnered 2.5 billion views on its Giphy channel – “more than Paramount Films, Adidas and even Harry Styles”. Now, as creative director and founder Ingi Erlingsson says, animation is “having a real resurgence,” and so the studio has rebranded, working with a stellar team of collaborators to bring its irreverent sense of humour and distinctive personality to the fore. This includes a graffiti-inspired visual identity by Koln Studio, a new website by Superrb, a merch collection, and a spoof promo film starring Asim Chaudhry (aka Chabuddy G) as the host of a psychic hotline.

Golden Wolf writes in a blog post that the rebrand hopes to highlight the studio’s “transition from being the ‘new kid on the block’ to one of the most renowned studios in the animation space today,” and better express its vision and direction. As such, the studio’s logo has matured from a scrawl to a more refined wordmark, taking inspiration from Golden Wolf’s graffiti roots, still a major influence on the team.

The wider identity also reflects the studio’s penchant for psychedelia and “intensely dynamic action”, brought to life through colour palettes, typography and, of course, animation on its new website. Its mascot, once a neutral smiley face named Bob, has also evolved to become iridescent and bear a more “slanted expression… Bob really feels just the same way about the start of 2021 as many of us do,” writes the studio. The merch collection, designed in house, features everything from apparel to stickers and a Magic 8-Ball, all with a gothic visual feel.

It’s the Magic 8-Ball specifically that led the team to create a spoof promo film centred on a psychic, with comedian Asim Chaudhry running the “Golden Wolf International Psychic Hotline”. In a brilliant parody of cringeworthy sham TV ads, the film sees Chaudhry as Bob Savage, offering the answers to life’s biggest questions surrounded by retro, psychedelic graphics galore.

In tune with similar themes, the studio has also created a hidden game on its website called Wild Wolf that pays homage to Nokia’s iconic Snake – with a wolf instead, chasing Bob the mascot.

The rebrand comes at a time when much of the animation sector appears to be flourishing, adds Erlingsson. “Due to restrictions set in place by the pandemic, brands and agencies are using [animation’s] power more and more to convey emotion, stories and meaningfully connect with people. Animation can show real life but it also has the magic to show an escapist’s view on the world — and what better way to share a little positivity and fun, at a time when we’ve never needed it more!”

Last September, we delved into the Animade rebrand by Koto, which saw its logo become eyes to “inject character” to anything it touches.