ACADEMIC
BRANDING
Punchline Brand Guidelines
A conceptual agency brand identity that swaps corporate perfection for relatable humor, anchored by a bold, conversation-driven visual system.
TIMELINE
Spring 2026
SOFTWARE
Illustrator + Framer
STATUS
Completed
Project Overview
Design & Art Direction Course
Punchline is a full-service creative agency built on the philosophy that humor is a brand's strongest asset, not an afterthought. Developed for an Design & Art Direction course, this project required establishing a distinct agency identity from the ground up—starting with a core manifesto, progressing through naming exploration, and culminating in a comprehensive brand identity and digital platform.
Visit the final brand guidelines here
Process
Naming & Strategy Process
The project began by defining what makes the agency different. I created an agency that was built on self-awareness and reality-driven humor.
"Knock knock, who’s there... spoiler: it’s just us. Humor is our secret sauce, not just the garnish. By acknowledging the flops of reality, instead of trying to put lipstick on a pig, we help brands communicate with wit, self-awareness, and a bit of punch."
To align with the tone of the manifesto, I generated 100 agency names in multiple different groups including, strong typography names, is this an ad agency or a comedy club, types of jokes and many more. Through rounds of critique, the list was narrowed down to three strong contenders: Punchline, Bloopers, and The Wink. Following feedback from peers and the professor, Punchline was selected for its directness, strong imagery, and immediate connection to high-impact creative work.
Design
Exploring the Right Name Brand for the Agency
Translating the concept of humor into a visual system required extensive experimentation to ensure the agency looked polished and intentional, rather than chaotic or amateurish. Developing logo marks, color palettes, and typographic hierarchies across three completely different brand directions revealed how subtly design choices alter tone.
