Agency
72andSunny
Role
Design Director
Lead Designer
Carolina Vázquez
We partnered with European media group Mediahuis to launch SPIL, a new news media brand designed for Gen-Z, an audience increasingly disconnected from traditional news. Our goal was to create an online news media brand that feels relevant, credible, and responsive to how young people consume and engage with information today. Through in-depth research across European markets, we uncovered that Gen-Z isn’t apathetic about the world but actively questioning, re-evaluating, and seeking out multiple perspectives. This insight became the foundation for SPIL’s positioning: “News to rethink your views. Views to rethink the news.”
The name “SPIL,” Dutch for “axis,” represents a central point around which different viewpoints rotate. At the heart of the identity is the Axterisk, a dynamic symbol that begins as an asterisk and shifts like a rotating axis to reflect the complexity and movement of thought. It is a visual representation of SPIL’s mission to amplify diverse voices.
We designed a bold, expressive visual system that rejects conventional news media tropes. The colour palette avoids institutional monochromatic palette, opting instead for vivid, contemporary tones. Our custom typography combines geometric structure with subtle humanist touches to balance confidence with warmth. The tone of voice is direct, inquisitive, and deliberately open, designed to inform without preaching.
The system is built for digital fluency. Modular layouts, social-native animations, and scalable brand assets ensure consistency across TikTok and Instagram. The Axterisk serves as a recognisable avatar, while the full logo and system flexes to suit a range of applications. Together with Mediahuis, we’ve created not just a brand, but a media platform for a generation to explore the news, on their terms.
Case study