Rebranding A Dictatorship

Originally created for Icon Magazine, as part of their Rethink series, Swedish design agency Snask has developed a new brand identity for North Korea.

Every month, Icon Magazine invites a selected design studio to redesign and rethink any everyday object or brand. Snask, based in Stockholm, took on their so-called “dream project” – rebranding the country of North Korea. They even went as far as renaming the country ‘Love Korea’, shedding its geographical label.

“We took the chance of doing our dream project, namely rebranding North Korea. Why? Because the world is full of so much hatred at the moment so we thought that perhaps if we show a way of love we could make a small difference” says Asta Ostrovskaja, who worked on the project. The reborn North Korea would bare a new name emphasizing its new main value – love — as opposed to its geographical position in relation to South Korea.

The design features the traditional Korean colors, as they are simply a beautiful combination, but also because they are used by South Korea as well. The new identity consists of a whole package; from logotypes, typographies, patterns, new currency, and obviously a national flag. Even a new livery for North Korean (Love Korean?) airline Air Koryo was included.

In an open letter to Kim Jong-un, the design agency shows their love by offering the design to North Korea for free! But it comes with one condition — the country needs to prove it is a free democracy to the rest world. They try to convince the stubborn nation by stating that they will be the first country in the world to have ‘love’ as their number one value, as well as its name. Do you think he will be won over?