We talk a lot about a brand’s tone of voice, but usually we mean wording, the conscious part of communication. Unlike copywriting, typography influences the subconscious perception of that copywriting. Typography shapes the brand's perception and becomes inseparable from the brand itself. This established connection creates an opportunity to play with it and break some rules. 

Paul Rand’s IBM rebus shows what’s possible with visual identity deeply embedded in public memory. IBM's logo typography and structure were established strongly enough so that Rand could replace parts of the name with an eye and a bee without losing recognition. But this kind of maneuver needs a strong visual identity as a base.

A typeface is never neutral or alone

Typefaces carry associations; that’s why a luxury perfume and a children’s snack rarely use the same typography. Serifs can suggest tradition, while sans serifs can be more contemporary. Geometric typefaces can communicate logic and order. Condensed letters can create intensity; wide, rounded forms can feel open and friendly. Irregularity can suggest something handmade. Every typeface feature evokes different associations that later translate to corresponding values.

These meanings are not fixed. Take Comic Sans, originally designed for a friendly, informal context. It became popular in schools and offices, which led to criticism for overuse and lack of professionalism. Over time, however, its nostalgic character renewed appreciation. Well, simply put, it became a meme.

Typography accumulates cultural associations over time, and those associations shift across industries, countries, or generations. Typography inspired by the 1970s might be nostalgic to one person and completely contemporary to someone who never experienced the decade. 

Additionally, personality comes from the entire typographic system. Take the same font and place it in two different layouts. In one, give it generous white space, small headlines. In another, make it enormous, compressed, uppercase, and stuck to the edges of the composition. The typeface hasn’t changed, but it will read completely differently. It’s like texting with caps lock on, DON'T SHOUT AT ME!

That’s why background knowledge and an understanding of how specific typographic characteristics are perceived are key to choosing the right font for a brand. The process starts with defining the brand's context. From there, we can translate these qualities into typographic characteristics, looking for forms that reinforce the desired personality. The right typeface should not only reflect the brand’s character but also help it stand out and remain recognizable.

For what and for whom?

It’s most visible in minimalist branding, where fewer decorative elements make typography the focal point. In cosmetics, skincare, and medicine, brands use typography to evoke expertise. Clean visual systems are associated with formulation and credibility, a laboratory design.

When we design for the medical industry, we pay extra attention to font readability and information architecture. Yet, within the same industry, the target audiences differ. We designed packaging for Biotacell for Norsa Pharma for adults; it needed to look professional and clean. We added interest by pairing two different fonts, keeping them simple and leaving space for a clean look.

However, typography does not have to be plain, even in this industry. In another medical packaging, we used a more playful font to complement the illustrations. The text is still simple and clear, but more appealing to children and parents - a different target audience.

Brands targeting younger audiences often embrace maximalist typography to create a more playful and expressive identity. Exaggerated proportions, unconventional letterforms, and strong contrasts can communicate humour, eccentricity, or rebellion. However, this type of branding still relies on precise decisions about typeface and its structure. They still require careful consideration to ensure the typography reflects the brand's personality and remains recognizable.

Expression versus readability

Giving typography a strong personality introduces an obvious constraint: people still need to read it (and this doesn’t apply only to laboratory-inspired industries).

How far can a letter be distorted before it stops functioning as language? We need to ensure that an unusual headline won’t force the audience to spend more time decoding it thanunderstanding the message. A logo can sacrifice some readability in exchange for recognition, and a large campaign headline can be more expressive because scale and context support comprehension. But a paragraph explaining ingredients, dosage, or legal information can’t operate by the same rules. Often, the rules are literal: packaging has specific guidelines, such as minimal “x” height for food packaging or line spacing for chemical warnings. It all depends on the text’s function. As a creative agency, we also have a dedicated technical team that ensures all packaging designs meet the relevant regulatory and technical requirements, working closely with our clients’ quality departments to maintain compliance without compromising the creative vision.

Typography never communicates independently from the words. Sometimes alignment strengthens the message: technical typography paired with precise language can establish authority, while a soft, rounded typeface for friendly copy is more approachable. A deeper understanding allows us to break these rules to create something unexpected and, ultimately, more memorable. The tension between form and language can give a brand more character. That said, coherent design paired with clever wordplay can strengthen the message.

In our project, “In case” wine, the whole idea comes from typography and message. The wine bottle has embossed name lettering, black on black to keep it subtle. Additional bands name the occasion: “In case of celebration time”. The design is simple, as is the typography. The whole idea is based on the message, and the wording is key. In this (design) case, the identity’s restraint supports the product promise and focuses attention on the function of the product as a gift.

Most often, typography is only one part of the whole design, so it must work with the message and all the other elements of the brand identity: logo, illustrations, photos, etc. We have seen this in our own work, where well-designed typography can carry almost the entire visual and conceptual identity. It doesn’t simplify the process, because well-paired typography can shape a brand's tone of voice. A strong typographic identity establishes rules flexible enough to work across various formats without losing recognition.

Typography no longer stands still

Brand identity was once discussed mainly through still pictures. Now the same fonts can evoke different emotions depending on how they move. Variable fonts extend this further, making designs more flexible, especially digital ones that need to respond to interaction.

Brands can use digital text as an extension of their brand, making it even more decorative or interactive. In a way, this reminds me of medieval illuminated manuscripts, where initials became a form of art, filled with symbolic details. The same idea feels surprisingly relevant in the digital age, where typography can change its appearance and become a visual experience in itself. One of the most recognizable examples is Google's Doodles, which transform its familiar logo to celebrate holidays, events, and cultural moments. Because the brand is so recognizable, it can afford to make its letters less readable, turning them into playful visual compositions. Like Paul Rand's rebus designs, these transformations invite viewers to look beyond the literal letterforms and enjoy decoding them.

Perhaps that’s what makes typography so interesting to work (and play) with. Two brands can use the same typeface and still look completely different. It creates multiple opportunities to add interest to a design, and from the viewer's point of view, it doesn’t seem as important or relevant because it is mostly perceived subconsciously.