Crunchyroll (2024)Copied

Crunchyroll unveiled a brand evolution in July 2024, ahead of San Diego Comic-Con, after passing 14 million subscribers, Anime News Network reported. Branding in Asia said the work was led in-house by its marketing and creative services teams and would roll out across every fan touchpoint over the following year.

Its president said that, with the number of 'anime-curious' people approaching a billion, the company wanted the brand to appeal to a more diverse global audience without losing what fans had loved. The company said the new look, feel and sound should reflect the joy anime brings, in a spirit of fun and celebration.

The update includes a modernised logo with a balanced eye symbol and a revamped wordmark; a font set called Crunchyroll Atyp that blends classic and modern elements for readability; and a colour system of orange, black, white and taupe. A glyph system of more than 139 characters is inspired by anime and manga, and Japanese artists collaborated on new textures and patterns. A seven-second audio-visual mnemonic uses anime-inspired sound design. The company's operating chief singled out the vibrancy of the new orange and the audio mark. At Comic-Con, the identity was to cover the Rady Shell venue for the Crunchyroll Concert Series and appear around the convention centre, alongside a limited streetwear collection inspired by the branding.

Anime News Network's report sat next to less festive news: Crunchyroll had recently raised prices for its Mega Fan and Ultimate Fan tiers in several markets and cut its free trial from 14 days to seven.

The glyphs and the Japanese artist collaborations are the strongest parts, giving the brand a texture rooted in the medium rather than in streaming generics. The logo tweak is barely perceptible. The real challenge is whether a celebratory brand can sit comfortably alongside higher prices.