Poetry Foundation Unveils Dynamic Rebrand Ahead of 25th Anniversary

Creative director Fred Sasaki spearheaded the transition, working with Pentagram’s Andrea Trabucco Campos to move beyond the rigid branding established in 2016. The goal was to build a system capable of navigating institutional grantmaking, digital platforms, and large-scale urban installations. The magazine’s cover will now shift its focus toward featured excerpts and original illustrations, prioritizing the poem’s own language over the previous grid-based typographic stacks.

Central to the new aesthetic is a reimagined Pegasus, appearing in four distinct poses—standing, rearing, flight, and with a raised hoof—allowing the logo to scale from a magazine spine to massive architectural facades. This flexibility extends to the Foundation’s River North headquarters in Chicago, where new environmental graphics aim to integrate poetry directly into the urban landscape. By refining its typographic system and introducing a broader color spectrum, the institution seeks to sustain Harriet Monroe’s original "Open Door" philosophy while preparing for its upcoming 25th anniversary in 2027.