08/24/2026
Branding in 2026:
“Everything looks the same.”
Instagram: makes one letter weird.
“No, not like that.”
The new Instagram wordmark has been out for a week, and its tiny “r” has already been through it. Too tight, too weird, looks like a z. Instagzam.
And, to no one’s surprise, they meant to do that.
Koto, the agency behind the redesign, explored hundreds of versions, including moving away from the script altogether. But take away too much and it stopped feeling like Instagram.
So they went looking for the line between new and familiar. Handwriting, calligraphy, the quirks of the original script, even that controversial “gr” ligature. Koto calls the result a “new mark with old memories.”
We say we want brands with personality. Then they show us some and we ask them to move the r.
Maybe the r should move. But there’s something to be said for leaving a little friction in.
Because not everything memorable arrives perfectly resolved.
Long live Instagzam.
