Bringing contemporary energy to a legacy brand
Comcast NBCUniversal’s brand LIFT Labs needed a new brand identity that matched its mission to accelerate innovation and reflect its young entrepreneurial energy. The refreshed system bridges startup momentum with enterprise legacy, creating a unified brand system built to scale.
01. Overview
LIFT Labs partners with early-stage startups that are shaping the future of enterprise innovation. The program connects founders with the scale, mentorship, and reach of a global media and technology leader. Yet its brand identity had fallen out of sync with that ambition, visually dated and inconsistent across all brand touch points.
We reimagined LIFT Labs’ brand identity. The goal was to modernize the visual identity, to speak to diverse founders, and build a unified design system that could evolve within Comcast’s legacy framework without losing credibility or recognition.
02. Challenge
LIFT Labs needed to communicate innovation without detaching to far from its parent brand. The existing system lacked cohesion and failed to reflect the energy of the startups it supported. The challenge was twofold: bring contemporary relevance to a legacy brand while creating a flexible structure that internal teams could easily manage and sustain.
03. Strategy
We started by clarifying LIFT Labs’ position within Comcast NBCUniversal. Where startup speed meets enterprise scale. The strategy focused on creating distinction through simplicity: a design language that signalled innovation while echoing the authority of the parent brand. Through workshops and audits, we identified color, form, and motion as the key levers to express momentum, inclusion, and trust.
What We Did:
- Brand Strategy
- Creative Direction
04. Creative Concept
Modern Legacy
The creative idea connected heritage wth sophisticated evolution. Inspired by Comcast’s iconic Peacock feathers, we developed a design system that introduced a signature purple. An anchor color symbolizing creativity and progression, woven through a refined typographic and motion framework. The new identity expressed movement and optimism while maintaining visual continuity with the broader Comcast brand language.
What We Did:
- Brand Identity
- Motion System
- Design System
05. Applications
The new brand system translated seamlessly across all platforms, digital, social, and internal communication. We delivered a comprehensive brand book and modular templates that gave the LIFT Labs team freedom to build consistent assets quickly while preserving strategic integrity. Each design tool was crafted to encourage autonomy without diluting brand equity.
What We Did:
- Comprehensive Brand Guidelines
- Social Media Template System
06. Outcome
LIFT Labs emerged with a cohesive, future-ready identity that reflected the innovation it champions. The refreshed system balanced modern energy with the trust of a legacy brand. Empowering internal teams to maintain consistency and creative control. Years later, the identity continues to serve as the foundation of their communications and startup outreach.
