Section

Building a brand to challenge the American learning landscape

Created an education brand with a bold attitude and mission: to make ambition burn brighter
Crafted a loud, unboring identity that sets Section apart in the American learning landscape
Chalked up iconic New York spots at launch to spread the word: you don’t need an MBA to kick-ass at work

Background

Business education is in need of a refresh. Costly and inflexible, it’s not suited for students outside of a typical post-university demographic.

Enter Section. Founded in 2019 by professor and entrepreneur Scott Galloway, Section’s leadership curriculum is making elite business education accessible to all.

Challenge

A revolutionary approach to education needed a brand with the right attitude. So we partnered with the team to help them solidify their brand narrative and visual identity, starting with a strategic positioning that could communicate its story.

Brand Strategy

Education is a two-way street. While we’re taught to listen and absorb information, real knowledge builds through collaboration and debate. Challenging everything and developing a point of view. It’s about getting your hands dirty and putting learning into practice.

Honing in on the fundamental qualities of its students, we solidified Section’s mission: 'To make ambition burn brighter'. Ultimately, positioning Section as the proving ground for the ambitious, provoking learners to explore, build upon and apply the most compelling ideas in business.

Brand Expression

The strategy is brought to life through the brand design by positioning a more conventional Business Layer against a reactionary Point of View Layer. We use bright formations of point-of-view assets to annotate monochromatic Business Layers underneath. Juxtaposing the two contrasting realities of the brand in every application.

Conversation and debate are fundamental learning tools. So we designed a convo-focused layout that could capture the spirit of open discussion. Not a monologue, but a platform for all voices to be heard.


Authentic reflections of the business world are integral to the identity. We use familiar reference points for students—Post-its, highlighters, crossed out notes, Tweets—to reflect the way people think and learn. Real imagery focuses on everyday moments we experience doing business. The logomark itself incorporates one of the most tangible icons in the world of business, the paperclip.


With contrasting elements, palettes and an emphasis on the gritty reality of modern day business, we crafted a loud, pragmatic, unboring identity that boldly sets Section apart in the American learning landscape.


During the week of the brand launch, we helped Section spread the word: you don't need an MBA to kick ass at work. We chalked up several well-known locations around New York, questioning the merits of traditional learning pathways and points to Section as the new alternative.

Special thanks

Client

Greg Shove

Wendy Nguyen

Rachel Fields

Nelson Fernandez

DesignStudio

Eric Ng

Alexis Sellal

Magali Johnson

Andie Wexler

Kris Louie

Ryan Su

Maricruz Meza

Jack Wimmer

Jackie Rodriguez

Paddy Blake

Collaborators