Gummy Industries’ open-source brand for Brescia hands the citizens their city

There aren’t many feelings like seeing your work out in the wild. For creative agency Gummy Industries, however, it’s a feeling the studio will have to get used to. Based in Brescia, Italy, Gummy Industries has crafted the playful, rigorous brand for its own hometown, the results of which are hard to escape. “Seeing the results of our work come to life every day on the streets of the city is an invaluable feeling,” the designers say. “It brings the awareness of having contributed to building a concrete, ambitious project, one designed by the city, for the city,” with the studio brand appearing not only in major city communications but also in local retailers like pharmacies and hairdressers. “At the same time, it is also a great responsibility,” they caveat, serving as an everyday reminder that a brand goes beyond the purely the identity behind it. “It is a process that requires everyone to come together,” be it administrations, businesses, citizens or associations, “and embrace the brand’s promise, shaping a place that truly lives up to the message it conveys.”

The creative concept behind Brescia’s city branding is simple yet salient – Your European City – working alongside Brescia’s mayor to craft the strategy. Encapsulating the unique qualities and distinctive character behind the metropolis – one that’s industrial, hardworking and vibrant – it was essential to Gummy Industries to stress the multifaceted nature of the city. “It’s slowly embracing its multicultural composition as a strength point,” Gummy Industries says, “it’s just the right size to be exciting and full of novelty but not sprawling and chaotic,” whilst, at the same, transitioning into a greener city too. “It’s not just one generic town,” the studio says, “it’s one that’s worthy and proud to be part of Europe.”

Following the project’s distinctive, ambitious strategy, Gummy Industries’ industrious brand is subsequently direct, compelling, and without fuss. The brand’s design is not alone in championing the city and its citizens; in fact, the very structure of the identity lends itself to the public. “If everyone here strives to build their own path,” Gummy Industries explains, “it made perfect sense to design a brand that was completely open-source,” allowing every citizen to freely use the brand’s assets however they’d wish to. Leading the charge behind the open-source brand is its bespoke typeface, Brescia Sans, a condensed sans serif that encapsulates and champions the city’s soul. 

“Given a bottom-up brand that’s open-source, that works as a tool of self-expression for everybody that wants to use it,” Gummy Industries says, “it made sense to delve deep into vernacular forms of typographical expression,” drawing directly from visual cues and aesthetic found across the city and its history. “The element of imperfection that comes with non-professionals getting by was what we were looking for,” the studio adds, “as it also fits Brescia’s raw and pragmatic soul.” To achieve this, Gummy Industries worked in close collaboration with type designer Mike Nigra, who distilled the city’s inspirational aesthetic lineage, as well as late 19th and early 20th-century sans serifs, into the striking condensed letterforms of Brescia Sans. “We are long-time fans of Mike’s craft and skill, and his attitude of blending type anatomies,” Gummy Industries recalls, “along with his contemporary taste, convinced us that he was the right choice,” satisfied with the resulting typeface and its singular – and distinctly Brescia – character. 

“The mission of Brescia's city branding is to set the course for the city’s development in the coming years,” Gummy Industries reflects, creatively and strategically positioning Brescia on the international stage. “City branding is, in fact, an asset,” and a resource for the entirety of the city’s talent, the studio continues. “It is the vital nourishment that enables Brescia to grow, expand its horizons, and strengthen its presence,” ultimately embodying its values and personality. “It exists to highlight and amplify the city’s unique strengths across all fields,” Gummy Industries ends, “while also inspiring new and innovative opportunities.”