MARTIN*’s Visual Identity Is More than a “New Coat of Paint”

The Martin Agency has unveiled a new visual identity, heralding what chief creative officer Jerry Hoak has described as a “new era” for the Richmond shop.

​MARTIN*, as it is now formally known, boasts over 60 years of history. Most recently, it was named as part of Omnicom’s US Advertising Collective, following the holding company’s merger with IPG.

However, the rebrand “wasn’t driven by the acquisition,” says chief brand officer Elizabeth Paul, explaining that the project was discussed “long before” as a means to reflect the evolution and growth of the agency over the past six years, and help bring clarity to the MARTIN* brand both externally and internally. 

“MARTIN* has gone through a significant revolution in the last six years,” says Elizabeth. “Transforming from an agency that was respected, but perhaps not always remembered, to a consistent force for creativity and culture in the industry. Our mission – to fight invisibility – galvanised a lot of that change and we modernised dramatically to equip ourselves for that fight. We needed a visual identity that reflected who we’ve become.

“The reality is,” she adds, “this isn’t just a new era for MARTIN* – it’s a new era for the entire industry.” As the world of creativity continues to change, MARTIN* remains committed to its mission of Fighting Invisibility, a pledge that “has never been more important” as it is today. 

“As the world shifts around us, we wanted to communicate that mission in a more visually distinctive way and capture what makes MARTIN*, MARTIN*,” says Elizabeth. The agency, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, has "always been a bit of an enigma”, to outsiders. But, she adds, “from counter-intuitive places come counter-intuitive ideas”; the kind that have helped to make MARTIN* what it is today. 

“It’s not just our location,” Elizabeth continues. “This place was a regional PR agency that became a national print agency, then a world-class television agency before reinventing ourselves around culture and creativity that defies mediums in the name of solving business problems. We’re not easily boxed in and we’re not easily written off.” 

A Sharpened Point of View

The design itself, comprising bold, block capitalised lettering and an asterisk, was designed in-house by a small, cross-disciplinary team spanning brand design, narrative design, and visual design. The combination of skillsets was intentional, “to ensure the identity reflected our culture, not just our output,” says Rique Santiago, VP, head of design. 

Senior designer Katrina Navasca led the design development, ensuring that every idea brought to the table was rooted in who MARTIN* is as an agency. Rique adds that while conversations about a rebrand had been happening for over a year, the actual design work took place in a focused period spanning around two months. “That tight window helped us stay decisive and grounded in culture rather than aesthetics for aesthetics’ sake,” he adds. 

Saying yes to the final design was an even quicker process. “Within minutes of seeing it,” says Elizabeth, “we grabbed our CEO Danny Robinson, and the entire design system was approved in one round.” 

“Very few people inside the agency knew we were working on a rebrand until the day we presented it,” adds Rique. “I was nervous. When the response came back as, “hell yeah, this is us,” that was the real validation. If the people don’t see themselves in the brand, it doesn’t matter how good it looks.” 

MARTIN* looks to its place within Omnicom’s US Advertising Collective with excitement. Accompanied by the likes of Goodby Silvertein & Partners, Deutsch and Alma and overseen by chief executive officer James Fenton, it’s a line-up of agencies known for their “distinctive cultures”, with MARTIN*’s rebrand helping to define its own unique qualities amongst them. 

“I don’t see our distinct identity and our place in a global network as competing forces,” says Elizabeth. “MARTIN* has always believed a clear point of view leads to meaningful work, and that doesn’t change just because we have access to a wider world. The asterisk sharpens that point of view. It gives us a simple way to show how we think – not by looking just past the obvious, but by getting underneath the problem and widening the lens so new possibilities come into focus.

“We’re at our best,” she adds, “when we bring people, ideas, and cultural truths into view in a way that actually shifts how brands show up. The asterisk helps express that instinct in a way that feels true to us. 

“So the balance isn’t about choosing between being our individual identity and the Omnicom community – it’s about being specific enough in who we are that we can add something meaningful to the whole.”

Bold, Authentic, and Human

The asterisk, introduced as “a universal symbol of ‘more’” reinforces that there is always more to uncover at MARTIN*, whether it’s about the people or the work itself, says Rique. “[It] calls attention, adds intention, and brings an edge that feels true to MARTIN*. It captures a sense of joyful rebellion while remaining simple, editorial, and flexible across the system.”

He adds that the typography “carries a sense of heritage”, while the symbol gives the identity “longevity and adaptability”, aligning with an overarching goal to “never to create something trendy or momentary”. Instead, it’s meant to represent the MARTIN* brand and the people behind it. “It needed to feel bold, authentic, and human”, says Rique. 

The design system speaks to the work and the agency’s broader culture. “MARTIN* is an agency driven by curiosity, cultural understanding, and work that holds up in the world,” Rique adds. “The asterisk signals that instinct. It shows that we care about depth, not just decoration, and about ideas that bring something into view that wasn’t visible before.”

Beyond being a clear signal of everything that MARTIN* is, the visual identity is designed to speak to everything that the agency isn’t. “We’re not built around formulas or quick, vanishing hits. We care about transformative work that lasts and work that earns attention instead of renting it,” explains Rique. 

“So this isn’t a new coat of paint. It’s a clearer expression of how we think and what we’re here to make.” 

At the centre of it all is MARTIN*s longstanding mission of ‘Fighting Invisibility’, a principle that has stood at the forefront of its work for years. The commitment has become all the more important as the industry continues to move faster and faster, says Elizabeth. “When everything moves fast, it becomes easier for people, communities, and cultural truths to slip out of view. Attention gets thin. Assumptions fill the gaps. The things that matter most get pushed to the edges. 

“Fighting invisibility gives us a clear purpose in the middle of all that noise. It keeps us focused on the work that brings things forward instead of letting them disappear. And in a landscape that can feel unstable, that purpose becomes an anchor. 

“This wasn’t a moment to rethink our mission. It was a moment to recommit to it.”

Internally, the redesign supports a commitment to a way of working that’s rooted in curiosity, and looking beyond the first idea. According to Elizabeth, it’s a way to push back on the “bad habits” that appear in any fast-moving agency.

“The pressure to move at speed, the pull toward familiar patterns, and now the temptation to let AI generate something quick instead of doing the harder thinking that gives work real staying power. AI has made it easy for ideas to blend together, which makes it even more important to commit to depth, originality, and point of view. 

“Fighting invisibility isn’t just about the work we put into the world. It starts inside our own walls. Are we seeing each other clearly? Are we making space for different voices? Are we noticing what gets overlooked because it isn’t the loudest thing in the room? 

“If the identity does its job, it keeps those behaviours front and centre. It encourages all of us to stay intentional and curious in a landscape that rewards shortcuts, and to choose the work that lasts over the work that just lands quickly.”