Why is 2016 echoing back in 2026?
A decade later, the projects that stood out in 2016 prove the value of thinking and designing beyond the present.
2016 was culturally loud. Social platforms were no longer emerging; they were shaping behaviour, while audiences became active and emotionally involved. It marked a shift: from static identities to living systems, from designing assets to designing relationships and digital communities.
For brands, this last decade has demanded something essential: the ability to think beyond the present. To build languages and identities flexible enough to evolve with culture, technology and people.
Maybe 2016 marked a turning point, and these projects capture what was already changing.
Movistar+
In 2016, Movistar faced a challenge that went far beyond unifying Canal+ and MovistarTV. The real need was to place audiences at the centre of a multichannel digital ecosystem through a distinctive and cohesive identity.
We approached Movistar+ not as a broadcaster, but as a shared space. A new media brand built around community, recognition and participation. An early expression of platform logic, anticipating a model where relevance would be shaped through connection, collective experience and shared moments.
By watching and co-producing culture alongside its audience, Movistar+ has become a true community platform, reaching 3.75 million subscribers in 2025 and developing an original audiovisual catalogue that continues to resonate with viewers.
UOC
Long before hybrid and remote learning became global standards, the UOC was already a pioneer in online education. The challenge wasn’t digitalisation, but structure: giving coherence to a complex, modular university without limiting its diversity.
We approached the brand as an ecosystem: a flexible system able to adapt across disciplines, while remaining coherent and recognisable at every touchpoint, from academic content to institutional communication.
Ten years on, that structure still holds. The identity has evolved with the institution, through an ongoing collaboration we’re proud to have sustained over a decade.
Filmin
With a carefully curated catalogue of films and series, Filmin has long positioned itself as a platform of choice for cinephiles, defined not by volume, but by editorial judgement, cultural curiosity and a genuine love for cinema.
Ten years ago, we translated that conviction into a contemporary identity system, drawing on the modular lettering systems of cinema title cards, while updating the mascot, Filmcan, to reveal its face for the first time.
Today, Filmin continues to evolve that same identity, remaining a culturally recognised platform for passionate film enthusiasts who seek taste over algorithms and viral trends.
Frameline
In 2016, we created a new brand identity and campaign to mark four decades of Frameline, the world’s longest-running LGBTQ film festival.
Rooted in Frameline’s mission to change the world through the power of queer cinema, the identity introduced a distinctive “frame” logo, built around a capital F and a queer ‘L’.
We’ve seen it evolve over a decade of festival editions and posters, maintaining strong visual continuity while embracing new expressions. In June 2026, Frameline will celebrate fifty years of queer media with Frameline50, proof of a brand designed to grow with culture.
Looking back to keep moving forward
The return of 2016 isn’t about aesthetic nostalgia. It signals a renewed appetite for clarity, imperfection, the classics, and human-scaled thinking. Revisiting these projects reminds us that meaningful branding isn’t reactive, it anticipates cultural shifts before they fully surface.
If nostalgia is driving this trend, Facebook feels like the right place to give this post a like.
Meanwhile, we’ll keep doing what we do best: designing brands and strategies for what’s next.
