For its 25th anniversary, the American Academy in Berlin wanted to bring more of its work into public view and establish a clearer direction for its next chapter. We developed a new strategy, visual identity and website experience that together present the Academy as a modern home for transatlantic ideas — more open and contemporary, while remaining rooted in its history and distinctive Berlin setting.
A new chapter for the American Academy in Berlin
Reaching German and transatlantic audiences more effectively
The American Academy in Berlin was founded in 1994 to deepen the intellectual, cultural and political ties between Germany and the United States. Twenty-five years on, it had a rich history and a strong body of work, but its brand had drifted out of step with the moment.
The anniversary created an opportunity to look beyond a commemorative campaign. The Academy needed a clearer account of its continuing relevance, together with a brand and digital presence capable of carrying that story into the future.
That meant resolving a central tension: how could the Academy become more outward-looking without losing the history, place and sense of belonging that made it distinctive?
Working with Soapbox on our institutional rebrand was inspiring and professional. Together, we moved from big-picture-strategy concerning audience growth and positioning to renewed overall aesthetics to the granularity of website taxonomies and matching hex codes to brand assets.
Reframing the Academy as both a place and an idea
We began with research rather than design. We immersed ourselves in the Academy’s history, reviewed the wider landscape and spoke with previous Fellows, staff and Board members.
The research revealed an institution with a valuable role as a place for dialogue, exploration and thoughtful disagreement — bringing bold thinkers from both sides of the Atlantic together in an unforgettable Berlin setting.
Working with the Academy, we translated those findings into a strategy and a prioritised action plan covering its events, communications, visual identity and website. At the centre of this strategy was a shift from presenting the Academy primarily as a physical place, to expressing it as an idea: a modern, vibrant salon where people can explore difficult questions and bridge divides.
This shift was an exciting one to bring to life through the new visual identity. The design system combines historic and contemporary elements, with a lighter and more optimistic colour palette, expressive but restrained typography and a simplified logo mark based on the Hans Arnhold Center – the building that has been the Academy’s home since its inception. That logo retains the recognisable house while making it clearer, more flexible and better suited to digital use.
We then carried the approach into the website’s structure and design, and created Instagram templates, event background slides and a template for the Academy’s entrance lobby screen. We continue to support the team each month as it rolls out the refreshed brand, helping to maintain consistency and quality across new applications.
A contemporary brand rooted in Berlin’s history
The Academy now has a clearer way to express both what it is and why it matters. Its refreshed identity is brighter, more contemporary and more open, while remaining grounded in the house, history and transatlantic purpose on which the organisation was built.
Crucially, the strategy provides a basis for more than a visual change. It gives the Academy a direction for bringing its ideas, people, and work beyond its walls.
Throughout, Soapbox maintained calm oversight of our public presence, patience with our institutional workflows, and engaged interest in our sustained tone and quality. You know things have gone well with a rebrand when staff themselves feel invigorated.