Solar Driftwood Podcast Studio
Brand strategy, visual identity, web design, content strategy
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brand story
Solar Driftwood is an independent podcast production studio specializing in humor and storytelling. The brand is inspired by Orson Welles’ 1938 radio play about a Martian invasion. The broadcast mimicked news bulletins at the time, caused mass hysteria across the country and was perhaps the first viral moment of the broadcast age.
The network pays homage to this seminal event in the history of audio storytelling and exists at the intersection of radio, news and theatre producing podcasts that sometimes mock present day media and, at other times, offer serious journalism.
Solar Driftwood contrasts the humor in humanity’s insignificance with the power and magnitude of storytelling.
logo
Emanating lines reference sun rays and sound waves—or perhaps the gravitational pull of a black hole. The all caps logotype is inspired by vintage, editorial headlines while tracked out letters convey vastness. Logo variations provide versatility on applications like social media or document letterheads.
Preliminary logo studies
Final logos and applications
visual identity
The visual identity features repetitive lines inspired by sound waves, sun rays and movement. Gritty textures feel vintage and create depth. Dark, contrasting colors symbolize the mystery and vastness of space while pastel accents keep it light.
typography
Futura PT is the official typeface for Solar Driftwood. Originally designed in 1927, Futura is a geometric sans serif inspired by the Bauhaus movement. The typeface is timeless and modern while paying homage to the era in which Orson Welles aired the radio production of “The War of the Worlds.”
