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Sept 08, 2026

Rethinking Brands: How to design unmistakable identities that shape culture

Hans Thiessen RGD

About this video

Description

For decades, the goal for brands was simple: be recognized. Own a colour. A font. A logo.

But in a world shaped by culture’s relentless momentum, simply standing out isn’t enough. To survive, brands must be culturally relevant. They need a pulse.

In this webinar, Hans Thiessen, Partner & Executive Director of Design at Rethink, takes you behind the scenes of how one of the world’s most creative agencies builds unmistakable identities that transform brands into fast-moving cultural forces.

Using real-world case studies from iconic projects like A&W, Full Pin and the RGD Branding Awards, Hans will challenge the traditional rules of identity design, sharing a masterclass on how to transition from static, rigid systems to dynamic brand experiences.

Key Takeaways

By the end of this session, you will walk away with:

• A Strategy for Cultural Leadership: Auditing the intersection of culture, consumer and category to move brands from passive participant to proactive leader.
• A Roadmap for Building Brands with a Pulse: Scaling a brand across three critical stages—shifting seamlessly from Brand Foundation and Brand Identity to Brand Expression.
• A Toolkit for High-Trust Client Partnerships: Using collaborative tools like Visual Sandboxes and Peer Review to build radical client trust and protect ambitious ideas.

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