Burberry has changed its logo and released its first campaign under the creative direction of British designer Daniel Lee, who succeeded Riccardo Tisci last September.
While the campaign doesn’t yet feature products designed by Lee, the release signals Burberry is getting a complete creative overhaul under the stewardship of Yorkshire-born designer and new CEO Jonathan Akeroyd. The brand wiped its social media accounts over the weekend ahead of the launch.
Burberry appears to be renewing its connection with modern Britain with the new campaign, which was shot between London landmarks Trafalgar Square and the Albert Bridge and features a broad-ranging cast of British talents. Rappers Shygirl, John Glacier and Skepta star alongside footballer Raheem Sterling, actress Vanessa Redgrave, and model Lennon Gallagher (son of Oasis’ frontman Liam Gallagher) in the campaign shot by Tyrone Lebon. Korean actress Jun Ji-hyun and model Liberty Ross also star.
Alongside the campaign, Burberry revealed a new typeface. The new logo features elongated, subtly curved letters in contrast with the blocky sans-serif logo rolled out under Gobbetti and Tisci. The brand also released a redesign of its equestrian knight logo carrying a flag that says “Prorsum” (Latin for “Forward”). First introduced in 1901, that motif was a key signature for Burberry throughout its department-store driven boom years in the 2000s, but used only sparingly in recent years.
The reveal comes two weeks ahead of Lee’s highly anticipated catwalk debut, which will take place during London Fashion Week. It’s hoped that the creative refresh will help kickstart momentum, after a turnaround strategy instigated by former CEO Marco Gobbetti helped move the brand further upmarket but failed to drive the pacey growth experienced by French peers.
Akeroyd is banking on Lee to bring a fresh energy and buzz to the label, making Burberry a cooler, more desirable name, while leveraging its national identity to stand out in a crowded market. The aim is to grow annual sales at the British house from £2.8 billion to £5 billion, hitting the £4 billion mark within three to five years.
”The next phase is about realising our potential as the modern British luxury brand,” Akeroyd said in September when he revealed his strategy to investors.
Learn more:
Inside Burberry’s Growth Strategy
In an interview with BoF the day of his first major speech to investors, Burberry’s new CEO Jonathan Akeroyd outlined his plan for growing the British house into a £5 billion megabrand alongside designer Daniel Lee.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Feb. 6, 2023, to clarify the products featured in the campaign were not designed by Riccardo Tisci (the featured products are from Burberry’s Heritage line).
