Big Active designs new Defected identity

Big Active is rebranding house music record label Defected, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year.

The consultancy was appointed last November following a paid creative pitch, having previously discussed working with Defected, according to creative director Gerard Saint.

The initial brief was to work on three specific album releases for the label, but following its pitch presentation, Big Active was appointed to look at a complete rebrand.

Kieran Mansfield, Defected label manager, says, ‘We were originally looking for someone to work on product activity surrounding our tenth anniversary, but Big Active was able to supply us with a more holistic view.’

The consultancy was then tasked with creating a new identity that could be implemented across all platforms.

Mansfield adds, ‘Defected is very proactive in the digital arena, and Big Active looked at how the logo could be applied there – how it could be shrunk down and work with different elements on a website.’

Saint says Big Active’s work aimed to make the Defected logo more ‘iconic’.

He says, ‘Music design used to start with the physical packaging, now that is just one part of the wider picture.

‘Our overarching theme behind the branding development was to focus on Defected’s soulful heritage, expressed visually as “21st Century Disco”.

‘Music design is now focused on the 360-degree viewpoint of how many forms of media build a complete picture around a release.’

The new identity will be rolled out later this month with the release of Defected’s ten-year anniversary album Clubland Adventures, which is out on 16 February.

A ten-year anniversary microsite is being launched this week, and a new-look website will launch at the beginning of March.

Defected will also be organising club nights based around the record releases, and Big Active will be involved with the promotional activities surrounding those events.

Ten Years of Defected:
• Big Active has created a new logo, which aims to be more ‘iconic’

• The identity will be rolled out across a series of record releases this year

• A new website and a ten-year anniversary microsite are being launched in the coming weeks

• The identity will also be applied on club nights being held to celebrate ten years of Defected