I conducted this brand strategy analysis and design concept as part of the Building Brands With Purpose course at New York University.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is the largest museum in the Western Hemisphere, and the most wide-ranging collection of art and artifacts under one roof. The collection of over two million works of art spans more than 5,000 years and encompasses all artistic media from every culture and continent. With over six million visitors each year, the Museum’s impact on the world is far-reaching and significant.

Locally, New Yorkers are so familiar with the Museum that they refer to it as simply “The Met.” In 2016, the Museum underwent a rebrand by corporate branding powerhouse Wolff Olins and adopted “The Met” as its official name. Nonetheless, tourists unfamiliar with this shorthand as well as guide books and event listings still refer to it as “The Metropolitan Museum of Art.” Along with the name, the public also lost the old “M” logo, which New Yorkers found particularly upsetting.

This re-rebrand attempts to take a step back and provide a brand refresh, rather than a complete rebrand, that is more in keeping with the core values of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum’s aesthetic place in New York and the world.

Vision

To bring all significant works of art under one roof that is open and accessible to the public.

Mission

The Metropolitan Museum of Art collects, studies, conserves, and presents significant works of art across all times and cultures in order to connect people to creativity, knowledge, and ideas.

Values

The Museum’s core values manifest themselves throughout the entire organization. Whether it’s acquiring a new work of art or taking schoolchildren on a tour, the task should be undertaken with excellence and should be both inspiring and engaging. The values are defined as follows:

• Excellence: Scholarly, Articulate, Rigorous, Distinctive

• Inspiring: Creative, Relevant, Vibrant, Challenging

• Engaging: Generous, Welcoming, Interesting, Inclusive

Voice

Communication on behalf of the Museum should be definitive, congenial, instructive, and comprehensive. This brand voice echos the works of art housed in the Museum.