Academy (NEW) | Nick Coyle Creative

ACADMEY OF CANADIAN CINEMA & TELEVISION REBRAND

A full visual rebrand of one of Canada's most important cultural institutions — from a ground-up identity system to a redesigned digital presence at academy.ca.

Client
Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television

Creative Direction & Design
Nick Coyle

Disciplines
Brand Identity · Logo Design · Web Design

Deliverables
New Creative Guide, New Logo

Scope
All Platforms

Year
2021

OVERVIEW.

Rebranding a national institution means building something that can carry a legacy — and still feel genuinely new.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television is the country's foremost organisation celebrating excellence in film, television, and digital media. After years of incremental updates, the institution needed a comprehensive visual overhaul — one that could carry the Academy's authority into the modern era while resonating with a new generation of Canadian creators. As Design Lead, Nick Coyle Creative reimagined the Academy's visual world from the ground up. This wasn't a logo refresh or a palette swap — it was an entirely new design language governing everything from the annual Canadian Screen Awards broadcast to social content, website redesign, print materials, sub-brand programmes, and motion assets. The rebrand needed to feel prestigious without being stale. Contemporary without losing authority. The result was a modular identity system built to flex across every platform the Academy touches — and to sustain consistent quality for years to come.

THE CHALLENGE.

A Legacy to Honour

The Academy has decades of history and the trust of Canada's entire screen industry. The new identity needed to signal genuine transformation without alienating the creative community the organisation exists to serve. There was no room for a rebrand that felt like a misstep.

Institutional Scale & Complexity

The Academy isn't a single brand — it's an ecosystem. Canadian Screen Awards, Academy Talks, Members Lounge, Women Directors Program, Prism Prize, and more. Each programme needed its own visual identity while remaining unmistakably part of the same family.

Platform Diversity

From a 4K broadcast title card to an Instagram story to a printed programme to a homepage banner — the identity needed to remain coherent and impactful across radically different formats, aspect ratios, and contexts. A rigid system would break. A loose one would lose coherence.

Continuous Delivery

Unlike a one-time project, this was an ongoing creative partnership. New campaigns, events, and social content needed to be produced continuously — demanding a design system robust enough to fuel rapid, high-quality output year after year without the identity degrading.

Original Branding

Rebranding a national institution is different from any other identity project. The stakes are cultural, not just commercial — and every constraint compounds the others. The previous branding was a bit stark and bland, which was the main note moving forward, but aspects of it needed to be kept and pushed. The new look needed to be bold, but simple and elegant and with hold the legacy of the awards themselves.

System thinking at institutional scale. Every decision was made with the full system in mind — not just how a single asset would look, but how the design language would hold up across years of continuous output, multiple sub-brands, and every platform the Academy operates on.

Screenshot 2026-05-04 at 12.38.42 PM.png

Identity Architecture
Before a single asset was designed, a comprehensive Design Guidelines document was established — defining the colour system, typographic hierarchy, motion principles, and compositional grammar. This became the single source of truth for all downstream production.

System thinking at institutional scale. Every decision was made with the full system in mind — not just how a single asset would look, but how the design language would hold up across years of continuous output, multiple sub-brands, and every platform the Academy operates on.

THE APPROACH.

Sub-Brand System
Multiple creative directions were explored to pressure-test the brief. The chosen direction — bold, cinematic, and rooted in a sense of spectacle — was developed into a full visual language that could express itself equally across a 16:9 broadcast frame and a 4×5 social crop.

Digital & Web Execution
The academy.ca redesign translated the new identity into a full digital experience — applying the visual system across the homepage, events, member sections, and the Canadian Screen Awards hub. The goal was clarity, prestige, and ease of use for a diverse audience spanning industry professionals, members, and the general public.

Ongoing Creative Direction
Rather than a one-time handoff, this was a continuous creative partnership. Campaigns, social series, event graphics, broadcast assets, and print materials were produced throughout the year — maintaining the integrity of the rebrand at every touchpoint, season after season, for three consecutive years.

Logo Redesign

Creative Guidelines

Every decision was made with the full system in mind — not just how a single asset would look, but how the design language would hold up across years of continuous output, multiple sub-brands, and every platform the Academy operates on.

The CA in the Academy was highlighted to stand for CA the short form for Canada.

Bi-Lingual logo with a lot of words can be a challenge to make look balanced

THE WEBSITE MADE THE REBRAND COME ALIVE

www.academy.ca

The redesign of academy.ca was the most visible expression of the new identity system — bringing together the updated typographic language, colour palette, and information architecture under one roof. The site needed to serve members, press, industry professionals, and the general public simultaneously. A bold editorial homepage, restructured navigation, and a modular content system gave the Academy the flexibility to spotlight the Canadian Screen Awards, Academy Talks, membership, and the Prism Prize — all within a single, coherent digital experience.

Navigation

Restructured IA for members, press & the public

Visual System

Full brand language across all page templates

Awards Hub

CSA nominees, schedule & results unified

Academy Programming

Academy Talks
Before a single asset was designed, a comprehensive Design Guidelines document was established — defining the colour system, typographic hierarchy, motion principles, and compositional grammar. This became the single source of truth for all downstream production.

Member's Lounge
Before a single asset was designed, a comprehensive Design Guidelines document was established — defining the colour system, typographic hierarchy, motion principles, and compositional grammar. This became the single source of truth for all downstream production.

Directors Program for Women
Before a single asset was designed, a comprehensive Design Guidelines document was established — defining the colour system, typographic hierarchy, motion principles, and compositional grammar. This became the single source of truth for all downstream production.

Executive Residency
Before a single asset was designed, a comprehensive Design Guidelines document was established — defining the colour system, typographic hierarchy, motion principles, and compositional grammar.

Where to Watch
Before a single asset was designed, a comprehensive Design Guidelines document was established — defining the colour system, typographic hierarchy, motion principles, and compositional grammar.

Screen Share
Before a single asset was designed, a comprehensive Design Guidelines document was established — defining the colour system, typographic hierarchy, motion principles, and compositional grammar.

WHAT WAS DELIVERED

Brand Identity System Colour · Typography · Logo Usage · Spatial Rules

Design Guidelines Document Creative constitution for all teams & partners

Sub-Brand Architecture Academy Talks · Members Lounge · Women Directors Program · Where to Watch

Website Redesign — academy.ca Visual Templates · CSA Hub

Broadcast Graphics Title Cards · Nominee Packages · Lower Thirds

Social Content System Static · Motion · Multi-format

Motion Design Animated bumpers · Logo reveals · Event openers

Print Collateral Event programmes · Press materials · Certificates

A NEW IDENTITY BUILT TO LAST

The Academy rebrand wasn't a single deliverable — it was the foundation of a long-term creative partnership. Every asset reinforced the new visual language, every season adding depth and coherence to an identity system designed to grow with the institution. Three years in, the work still holds.

Complete visual identity built from scratch — covering every platform from broadcast to social to print.

academy.ca fully redesigned — with a new information architecture and brand identity applied across all page templates.

5+ sub-brand programmes — Academy Talks, Members Lounge, Women Directors Program, and more — each with a distinct but connected visual identity.

Design Guidelines document delivered as a living creative constitution for all teams and external partners.

3 consecutive years as design lead — a testament to a creative partnership built on trust, quality, and a shared long-term vision.

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ACADMEY OF CANADIAN CINEMA & TELEVISION REBRAND

Client Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television

Creative Direction & Design Nick Coyle

Disciplines Brand Identity · Logo Design · Web Design

Deliverables New Creative Guide, New Logo

Scope All Platforms

Year 2021

OVERVIEW.

Rebranding a national institution means building something that can carry a legacy — and still feel genuinely new.

THE CHALLENGE.

Original Branding

System thinking at institutional scale. Every decision was made with the full system in mind — not just how a single asset would look, but how the design language would hold up across years of continuous output, multiple sub-brands, and every platform the Academy operates on.

Identity Architecture Before a single asset was designed, a comprehensive Design Guidelines document was established — defining the colour system, typographic hierarchy, motion principles, and compositional grammar. This became the single source of truth for all downstream production.

System thinking at institutional scale. Every decision was made with the full system in mind — not just how a single asset would look, but how the design language would hold up across years of continuous output, multiple sub-brands, and every platform the Academy operates on.

THE APPROACH.

Sub-Brand System Multiple creative directions were explored to pressure-test the brief. The chosen direction — bold, cinematic, and rooted in a sense of spectacle — was developed into a full visual language that could express itself equally across a 16:9 broadcast frame and a 4×5 social crop.

Logo Redesign

Creative Guidelines

Every decision was made with the full system in mind — not just how a single asset would look, but how the design language would hold up across years of continuous output, multiple sub-brands, and every platform the Academy operates on.

The CA in the Academy was highlighted to stand for CA the short form for Canada.

Bi-Lingual logo with a lot of words can be a challenge to make look balanced

Bi-Lingual logo with a lot of words can be a challenge to make look balanced

THE WEBSITE MADE THE REBRAND COME ALIVE

www.academy.ca

Academy Programming

Academy Talks Before a single asset was designed, a comprehensive Design Guidelines document was established — defining the colour system, typographic hierarchy, motion principles, and compositional grammar. This became the single source of truth for all downstream production.

Member's Lounge Before a single asset was designed, a comprehensive Design Guidelines document was established — defining the colour system, typographic hierarchy, motion principles, and compositional grammar. This became the single source of truth for all downstream production.

Directors Program for Women Before a single asset was designed, a comprehensive Design Guidelines document was established — defining the colour system, typographic hierarchy, motion principles, and compositional grammar. This became the single source of truth for all downstream production.

Executive Residency Before a single asset was designed, a comprehensive Design Guidelines document was established — defining the colour system, typographic hierarchy, motion principles, and compositional grammar.

Where to Watch Before a single asset was designed, a comprehensive Design Guidelines document was established — defining the colour system, typographic hierarchy, motion principles, and compositional grammar.

Screen Share Before a single asset was designed, a comprehensive Design Guidelines document was established — defining the colour system, typographic hierarchy, motion principles, and compositional grammar.

WHAT WAS DELIVERED

A NEW IDENTITY BUILT TO LAST

Client
Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television

Creative Direction & Design
Nick Coyle

Disciplines
Brand Identity · Logo Design · Web Design

Deliverables
New Creative Guide, New Logo

Scope
All Platforms

Year
2021

Identity Architecture
Before a single asset was designed, a comprehensive Design Guidelines document was established — defining the colour system, typographic hierarchy, motion principles, and compositional grammar. This became the single source of truth for all downstream production.

Sub-Brand System
Multiple creative directions were explored to pressure-test the brief. The chosen direction — bold, cinematic, and rooted in a sense of spectacle — was developed into a full visual language that could express itself equally across a 16:9 broadcast frame and a 4×5 social crop.

Academy Talks
Before a single asset was designed, a comprehensive Design Guidelines document was established — defining the colour system, typographic hierarchy, motion principles, and compositional grammar. This became the single source of truth for all downstream production.

Member's Lounge
Before a single asset was designed, a comprehensive Design Guidelines document was established — defining the colour system, typographic hierarchy, motion principles, and compositional grammar. This became the single source of truth for all downstream production.

Directors Program for Women
Before a single asset was designed, a comprehensive Design Guidelines document was established — defining the colour system, typographic hierarchy, motion principles, and compositional grammar. This became the single source of truth for all downstream production.

Executive Residency
Before a single asset was designed, a comprehensive Design Guidelines document was established — defining the colour system, typographic hierarchy, motion principles, and compositional grammar.

Where to Watch
Before a single asset was designed, a comprehensive Design Guidelines document was established — defining the colour system, typographic hierarchy, motion principles, and compositional grammar.

Screen Share
Before a single asset was designed, a comprehensive Design Guidelines document was established — defining the colour system, typographic hierarchy, motion principles, and compositional grammar.