A rebrand or film poster series? Quebec’s audiovisual union refresh can do both

The new identity global creative agency Sid Lee has produced for AQTIS 514 IATSE is designed to be “a breath of fresh air in the union world”, summarises Marie-Elaine Benoit, creative director at Sid Lee. AQTIS 514 IATSE is Quebec’s audiovisual union, currently representing over 8,000 members across the industry. Therefore, a key requirement when it came to its recent rebrand was to push the representation of these members further. “Creating a common identity for the technicians we represent was a major challenge,” echoes AQTIS 514 IATSE’s Marie-Josée Rivard. The final concept “was inspired by their talent and passion”, taking cues from the industry and from the members themselves. “We wanted to spotlight the artisans who are usually behind the scenes,” says Marie-Elaine.

The AQTIS 514 IATSE refresh came as the union restructured, merging three separate entities to create the union as it stands today. Looking over the work, you’d be forgiven for mistaking certain moments, such as assets spotlighting individual technicians, for a series of film posters. This is all intentional for Side Lee, who leaned into cinematic codes like film credits to deliver its bold typographic arrangements. The graphic lines throughout, similarly, are taken from clapboards. Meanwhile, the idea of screens and displays, central to the audiovisual industry, is also represented with a colour palette made predominantly of RGB colours.

At the core of the work, AQTIS 514 IATSE’s new logo is composed of a solid square, symbolising “the unity of its members and a strong foundation” on which to build further growth, a press release from Sid Lee explains. The agency goes one step further, however, animating the logo so that it morphs into an array of other cinematic forms. Shapes resembling a play and pause button, camera and lighting spotlight all fold out of the centre square when it appears in motion, representing “the various audiovisual professions”, Sid Lee confirms. See the full logo expression play out below or in motion in Sid Lee’s project round-up.

Other playful elements, particularly incorporating motion design, appear throughout the new brand experience. Marie-Josée concludes: “we believe that this new rebrand will solidify a sense of collective belonging and the full potential of our members, whose reputation extends beyond our borders.”