Reno's Stan Can Design wins German award for KUNR rebrand

RENO, Nev. — Stan Can Design, a Reno-based design and advertising firm, recently earned international recognition for its rebrand of local public radio station, KUNR.

The honors come from the 2020 German Design Awards, the premier prize awarded by the German Design Council.

According to a Jan. 31 press release from the company, Stan Can Design's rebrand of KUNR was a winner in the category of “Excellent Communications Design - Brand Identity.”

“KUNR sought out rebanding services from Stan Can Design in 2018 with the goal of better representing their growing listener base and product offerings,” according to the press release. “Stan Can Design worked with KUNR to complete their rebrand in late 2018, with a full rollout coming in 2019 that made them eligible in this year's German Design Awards.”

“KUNR was at a real junction,” Stan Byers, owner and creative director at Stan Can Design, said in a statement. “We wanted them to be able to compete with that next level in the media industry while still staying true to their roots.”

The new KUNR brand is anchored by the flat U in its logo. The U is designed to act as a frame for KUNR content in multiple media applications. It also represents “you” — the listeners who power public radio, according to the press release.

The colors of the brand were drawn from the natural environment in the areas KUNR serves.

The judges panel for the German Design Awards applauded the brand for its “timelessly modern” look while adding that, “the distinctive flat U open(s) up a variety of interesting possibilities for usage in communications. A remarkably simple design with its own unmistakable identity that also forms a connection to the region.”