Creative concept and branding for MTV’s flagship European Music Awards shows. From the retro pop/sports mash up of the Munich EMAs to the dirty mutant neon of the Copenhagen event, the central creative informed everything from show packaging, set design, digital through to marketing and merchandise.

The Munich event took it’s lead from retro Olympic stylings. Self-indulgent guitar solos replaced the cut and thrust of fencing and competitive MCs lifted weights in the form of oversized gold chains.

Event ticket designs. Despite a constantly evolving creative the typographic treatment and use of acronym for the logo lock up is still being used today.

The tune-in expanded upon the duelling guitars motif, while the live show continued the vibrant retro sports theme with set design, show packaging and scoreboard iconography.

The overarching creative for the year MTV occupied Denmark was informed by defunct junkyard signage. Based on Richard’s designs a series of animated mutant logos were built to inhabit the streets of Copenhagen. Deliverables ranged from TV spots and packaging to press and merchandise. Photographer Rankin was brought in to shoot Timberlake - who featured alongside the composited neon logo for print and On air campaigns.

An irreverent lo-fi sensibility ran throughout the campaign and informed everything from t-shirts to teasers.

The creative won several awards, including Best Original Design for the logo and a D&AD for the On Air Spot.

The neon signage became a pervasive character in the On Air campaign whether that was looming ominously behind Justin Timberlake or adding a more subtly disruptive presence, as it did in this spot written for Juliette Lewis.

The live event carried the branding across stage visuals, packaging and promotional material.