Terri & Sandy launched a new identity, but its founders still have a place in the logo.
The New York agency replaced its illustrated founder-era branding with two exclamation points that honor co-founders Terri Meyer and Sandy Greenberg.
The rebrand, launched Oct. 22, also introduces a new mission centered on "Excellent News."
Greenberg has long used the phrase to celebrate a win.
The creative agency defines its next chapter under President Peyton Sutton, Chief Creative Officer Amy Ferguson, and Chief Strategy Officer John Gibson.
Greenberg remains CEO following Meyer's retirement in 2024.
Terri & Sandy's previous brand identity launched in October 2023 to mark its 13th anniversary.
It featured eight illustrated wallpapers by Berlin-based artist Katya Murysina, including one that pictured the founders among their favorite flowers.
Now, the agency is making its founding spirit easier to recognize as a new leadership team takes the reins.
The rebrand also gives its optimism a commercial purpose, promising meaningful wins that clients can share with their stakeholders.
A New York Attitude
The new identity was developed with designer Sean O'Brien, founder of independent creative studio SLWNSTDY.
O'Brien spent a few weeks interviewing employees and developed the look alongside Ferguson.
The visual system expands the agency's signature magenta with electric blues, greens, yellows, and purples.
Oversized typography draws on New York street signs, posters, and classic journalism.
Two exclamation points serve as the new standalone brand mark.
The pair already appears on agency merch, so the founders' tribute travels past the website.
The agency's new website also presents client work through business outcomes, connecting its look to its "Excellent News" promise.
A two-character mark works on everything from a hat to a pitch deck, which is the flexibility that good logo design should deliver.
62% Want Optimism From Brands
Research suggests a company's identity can support business performance when employees and external audiences understand its direction.
Gartner's 2024 survey of business leaders and employees found that 84% believed their company identity needed significant change to achieve strategic objectives.
Business leaders who said audiences strongly understood their company's direction were 1.4 times more likely to exceed revenue objectives.
Consumer research also gives optimism a commercial rationale.
Edelman's 2025 Trust Barometer found that 62% of people want brands to give them optimism, while 68% want brands to make them feel good.
The findings suggest that positive emotional value can influence what people expect from brands.
These findings point to three lessons for agencies investing in a new identity.
- Identity needs a business purpose. Agencies should connect brand changes to strategic goals to help clients understand why the investment matters.
- Optimism needs a customer benefit. Teams should link positive messaging to useful outcomes to give audiences a reason to believe the promise.
- Communication needs internal adoption. Leaders should equip employees to explain the new positioning to create a consistent experience across client relationships.
A rebrand has a stronger business case when it clarifies the company's direction and gives employees and customers a concrete reason to believe in it.
Our Take: Can Optimism Sell an Agency's Effectiveness?
Terri & Sandy's "Excellent News" positioning gives clients an appealing outcome to expect, but the agency has to connect this promise to results.
But optimism can become a slogan that every agency can adopt.
If the agency cannot demonstrate results, the promise loses its value.
We'd say optimism can sell Terri & Sandy's effectiveness, since its No. 1 Effie Index ranking among independent agencies gives the cheer a scoreboard.
The agency's next test is making "Excellent News" a repeatable client experience.
Every case study on the new site should end with a number that a client's CMO can take upstairs.
Remote's rebrand with COLLINS also connects a new brand identity to a clear business proposition.
Looking to clarify your brand positioning and communicate your value to clients?
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