The VMAs settle down at age 33
The MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) has had a new logo each year since it began in 1984. So why is this year's logo special? Because, unlike its many predecessors, this one is meant to stick around for years to come.
The new VMAs logo by OCD
The annual awards show is one of the few music-related programs left in MTVs lineup, and it's known to drum up at least one viral moment each year. Since the logo changed each year, the branding of the event has relied on trending designs and themes.
Previous VMAs logos, compiled by Brand New.
For the this year—and at least a few years to come—the VMAs used a new identity system designed through a collaboration between MTV's in-house team and Original Champions of Design (OCD). For MTV to settle down with one VMAs wordmark, it needed to be flexible. It puts the MTV logo directly into the VMA logo, maintaining a “symmetrical structure [which] allows it to easily transform into countless permutations,” according to an MTV spokesperson. Cleverly, the characters’ weight gives room for the MTV team to embed graphics or videos. Is the design durable enough to withstand an ever-changing MTV? Time will tell.
The new logo in subway advertising for the event.
MTV can use the negative space in the logo for graphics
