NIK BENTEL IS MAKING THINGS WITH PEOPLE AND BRANDS🔥
HIS NEW STUDIO, AND THEIR NEW VISUAL IDENTITY
Nik Bentel is the epitome of everything we love here at PEOPLE BRANDS AND THINGS. To break it down, he’s a person (obviously) who collaborates with brands on hugely innovative, oftentimes unexpected things, in his case, physical objects.
They’re the kind of objects you never knew you needed (or even knew existed), but once you lay your eyes on them, you instantly sense that your world has become more whimsical, and yes, extraordinary. It’s as if you tapped into a whole new world driven by this overwhelming spirit of childlike wonder and curiosity. At least, that’s how we always feel after seeing his work:
The appeal of these objects lies not so much in their practicality, but rather the symbolism they hold as a cultural artifact, reflecting what society deems “cool,” interesting - dare we say trendy - at any given point in time. Let’s take the TUMS “Chewy Bites” Bag on the left as an example. In this case, the focus was on capturing the growing phenomenon of the intersection of food and culture, as well as positioning TUMS as a “lifestyle” brand in a world where every brand is trying to become known as far more than just their products.
A couple of weeks ago, our social feed was completely taken over by colorful, Toy Story-esque motion graphics announcing the launch of Nik’s new studio, Nik Bentel Studio:
According to their website, the goal is to “release limited-edition performative objects” (e.g. furniture, clothing, bags, homeware, etc.) that are often the product of a brand collaboration. The launch of this Studio marks an exciting next step for Nik, one that signifies his success thus far and his desire to grow, not just by adding a single team member, but by welcoming three others on board:
We had the pleasure of speaking with Nik about his passion for partnerships, the process of collaborating with brands, and his dreams for the future. We also discussed the Studio’s vibrant visual identity designed by Little Troop, one of our favorite branding and design studios. Let’s dive right in:
PBT: Why did you decide to start your own studio?