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How Bacteria Became the Ultimate Brand Designer
Analysis of Crucible’s new logo grown in a petri dish
As a digital marketer who majored in biology, I have to talk about this logo made from bacteria. Crucible, a London-based company, describes itself as “a laboratory, collaborative workspace, and creative hub for bartenders, brands, and entrepreneurs, as well as a world-class, innovation-led drinks consultancy.”
In a bold & mad science-y move, Crucible collaborated with madalena.studio to rebrand with a logo literally grown in a petri dish. The logo was cultivated in a makeshift incubator in a basement, with the team waking up at odd hours to snap photos as it grew. It actually reminds me of my college days, trudging through the snow in the dark multiple times a day to check on how many C. elegans were still growing in my own petri dishes.
Chris Collicott and Oliwia Mendel, the creative minds at Madalena, swabbed everything from household food waste to kombucha cultures onto laser-cut cork shapes of the Crucible logo. As the bacteria grew, they formed unique patterns and textures, creating a living, breathing symbol meant to capture Crucible’s experimental and creative spirit.
