Radio is not dead, it has just started puckering up. British network KISS Radio has refreshed its image with a rebranding aimed at seducing Generation Z, proving that the dial still has life beyond Spotify. The studio NOT Wieden+Kennedy has created an identity centered on the x symbol, that digital kiss we use to sign off messages. This nod to modern communication is applied to the logo, typography, and animations, injecting a fresh and playful personality into a brand that doesn't want to sound like a cassette tape.
The kiss that deforms: how the new visual identity works 💋
Design director Adam Hunt explains that the new logo not only looks like a kiss but behaves like one. The x deforms and is applied to a typography that stretches and compresses, mimicking the energy of a text message. The identity extends to sister stations like KISSTORY or KISS DANCE with custom icons and color palettes, while maintaining the coherence of the main brand. The focus on analog nostalgia and old media aesthetics seeks to connect with a young audience that values retro, but with the speed of digital.
Radio survives streaming... thanks to emoticons 📻
In a world where people listen to music through algorithms, KISS has decided that the solution is to put an X on everything. Because nothing says I'm modern like a logo that looks like a nervous twitch on WhatsApp. Now all that's left is for the DJs to sign off their jingles with an x and an eggplant emoji to seal the deal. At least, if the radio fails to attract Generation Z, they'll at least have a very cute design for the dial's funeral.