KCRW Rebrand

For decades, KCRW has been the soundtrack of Los Angeles. Founded as a public radio station on the campus of Santa Monica City College, KCRW has had an outside presence as an international tastemaker (launching the careers of Billie Eilish, Beck, Adele among others) and a leading voice in news and culture.

In 2019, On Air Presents and KCRW co-hosted On Air Fest’s LA Annex at KCRW’s new state-of-the-art facility bringing together the creative vanguard of audio makers and storytellers. Our partnership grew, and years later, KCRW approached On Air Presents to help usher in the brand’s next era.

From early on it was clear that KCRW is more than a set of numbers on a radio dial. Over and over in our research, we kept hearing the words ‘belonging’ and ‘connection.’ We learned quickly it’s part of the social fabric of LA and we wanted to express that in the branding. The visual identity and new website we designed is rooted in KCRW’s history while framing them for the future. Our tagline ‘Always On LA’ is the vocal commitment to being LA’s connection to music, news, culture, and each other.