Make It.

What We Did

Brand Strategy
Brand Identity, Messaging, & Positioning
Copywriting
Art Direction

The situation

The current landscape of the Canadian music industry has long been dictated by the major labels, lack of diversity in artists and genres, inequity in payment models and a lack of resources for national touring. CIMAs work is to erode these monopolies and inequities.

They came to us looking to update their visual identity and messaging. They needed help to fight the good fight but also bring some agency to the cause. With a legacy role in the Canadian music scene dating back to 1975, history was at the root of who they were. We needed to build an identity that gave CIMA more versatility and a louder presence all while staying true to their roots and their purpose.

Launched 2022

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The Challenge

Built from the ground up.

CIMA are dedicated to getting Canadian artists outside of Canada and into the global market. They lobby the Canadian government to improve infrastructural barriers and increase funding and grants. They provide resources for music makers to improve their operations and increase their sources of revenue. They aren’t just a government lobbyist, or a library of resources, or even a hungry group of bleeding hearts. Their tenure in the Canadian music industry makes them music veterans, it makes them connoisseurs, it makes them door openers. We needed to move away from the misconception of bureaucratic pencil pushers to trendy, sexy, change makers. Because that is CIMAs true essence.

The Solution

Helping music makers make it to the world stage.

Our goal was to go beyond how they currently saw themselves and dig into what they actually felt they were delivering. They were not just the voice of the Canadian music industry, they were in the business of music. And they were in the business of making change.

The people we spoke to were impassioned, that were mad about music. We had to push beyond their self identification of advocacy and exporting – to being in the business of building. Building careers. Building businesses.‍

We wanted to position the concept of building business like the building of a movement. Movements make statements with design, movements are inclusive, movements build language. Movements empower, educate, right wrongs, drive progress. Identifying these characteristics allowed us to form a temperament and an essence that informed our creative direction and development.

To bring more clarity to CIMA’s business, we created a core idea of ‘make it’. We then used it as a springboard and a creative device to showcase their services, skills and offerings but also bring that much needed thrill and passion to their brand.

Make it to the world stage, make it abroad, make it happen, make it better. Make it.

Creative Execution & Direction

Make it abroad. Make it better. Make it together.

Matching the aspirations of music makers and the strong foundations of the people at CIMA we created a type system that fully represented the two. We paired a bold compact display typeface and a clean sans serif to symbolize the journey of a music maker building their career, block by block. The main CIMA brand uses a neutral palette to contrast the vivid and loud life of a music makers career.

CIMA’s wordmark is comprised of custom block shaped letterforms that are constructed out of mono-width rectangles. These forms give a sense of strength, stability and timelessness. The silhouette of the wordmark is further influenced by the logomark which presents itself as four solid blocks that act as a visual representation of a solid foundation.