A worldbuilding brand identity for Stormzy’s #Merky Foundation

In the wake of George Floyd’s death, Stormzy pledged £10 million to UK organisations, charities and movements tackling racial inequality, justice reform, education and Black empowerment. From this pledge, the #Merky Foundation was born.

Since Stormzy’s genesis, the #Merky brand has become synonymous with his music, social ventures and ethos. Its logo - a prophecy of his world-spanning influence to come. This became the seed of the Foundation’s design.

More than 30 years ago, Public Enemy’s seminal record and artwork for “Fear of a Black Planet” explored themes of empowerment within the Black community. Inspired by this, we built the #Merky world by taking cues from grand institutions of the past - the structures, marble, and typography, inverting them and then fusing them with the geo-climate maps as texture.

Made with Charlie Rout & TwoMuch Studio.

Role: Creative Direction