Ubisoft, video game publisher and creator of Assassin’s Creed®, Just Dance®, Tom Clancy®’s video game series and more, today launches the rebrand of its flagship strategy game Anno in partnership with global brand consultancy Wolff Olins and global creative agency Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam.

After 25 years and 7 instalments, Anno has solidified its position as a premier builder game in the strategy game market. Following the appointment of Brand Director Haye Anderson in 2023, previously of Droga5, the first-ever brand purpose and a new design system for the Anno Masterbrand has been developed to celebrate the core Builder’s element of the flagship game.

The rebrand is revealed in service of the latest instalment, Anno 117: Pax Romana, launching in 2025. The game will immerse fans into the Roman Empire and deliver a player experience across unprecedented levels of scale and details.

Cultivate the Joy of Building
Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam was briefed to create the strategy and awareness launch campaign, and Wolff Olins to create the new design system for the brand. The agencies were tasked to ‘spark a desire to build’ while revolving the creative around themes of legacy and creation, connecting and galvanising its loyal community as well as new players.

The brand purpose was inspired by the game itself; building is more than execution or technique for players – it’s about building alliances, peace and happiness. Building speaks to the time spent, the effort, the craft, the progress. As the common goal of all its players then, ‘cultivating the joy of building’ became the perfect brand purpose for Anno.

Crafted with Care
Wolff Olins created the first Anno masterbrand, one that has the flexibility to align to current and future games of the series. The agency developed a new design ethos “Crafted with Care”, which inspired the creation of a handmade, crafted look and feel for the brand.

The brand design features a newly created “A” symbol, taking on different material textures which nod to the different worlds and ages the game can expand into. The mark represents a collective mindset of the Anno community – fusing craft, the power of the human spirit and the ambition of building for future greatness. Meticulous in detail and crafted with care, the symbol guides the community to shape what they build within the game.

Drawing from the classical period, the Anno brand’s colours, typeface and graphic language form the foundations of a builder in those ancient times. Creating a system that is designed to support the purpose of building and a celebration of craftspersonship.

Introducing Anno: 117 Pax Romana
To establish Anno’s new brand platform, Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam introduces the trailer for Anno: 117 Pax Romana, galvanizing fans and the gaming community at reveal.

The first peek delivers the announcement the same way they used to in Ancient Rome – through a Town Crier – inviting players to build the Roman Empire. Designed as an ode to the Builder mindset, the epic 60-second trailer only features vast empty lands, from fields to marshes, leaving room for the imagination of the players. It is an invitation for all builders to join in and make this world their own – a proposition that both loyal fans and new players can relate to.

It showcases key elements of the new game in an entertaining and unexpected manner, turning away from the conventional codes of the strategy gaming category. The iconic Town Crier proclaims the role of the player as Governor and the different sceneries flicker wildly divulging two different provinces that players will have the option to pick between – a first ever within the franchise.

The trailer will be released exclusively at Ubisoft Forward today 9June 10th) followed by a social and digital activation after Ubisoft Forward.

Tune in on June 18th at 5pm CEST on Anno’s Twitch channel to learn more.

“As a gamer, I often feel game marketing needs a refresh. With Anno 117: Pax Romana, we had a real opportunity to revitalize the franchise and shake up the strategy genre. Our goal was to give Anno a clear purpose – cultivating the joy of building – while also not taking ourselves too seriously. Making games should be fun, so we wanted to bring that humor and joy that our community has back into the brand! As a result, I believe, we created something incredibly enjoyable, beautiful, really fun! I can’t wait for people to see more.” – Haye Anderson, Brand Director

“With 25 years of history, Anno is a unique brand in the gaming industry that lived so many different eras already. In preparation of Anno 117: Pax Romana, it became clear that we needed to crystalize our brand DNA to make sure we talk about Anno in a way that is true to its history, to its community, to its team and to the values we believe in. This new visual identity is fostering all of these elements together and represents perfectly what is Anno today and for the future.”
– Stephane Jankowski, Executive Producer

“Anno is a game all about building and craft, so the core of our idea was a design ethos to create something more tangible in the real world which could be seamlessly brought into the digital world,” said Wayne Deakin, Global Principal at Wolff Olins. “We believe that by embodying the spirit of creation, the brand will resonate with the passionate community of Anno players for whom every detail is a labour of love too.”

On the idea behind the trailer, W+K Creative Directors Ed Olhagaray and Ramona Todoca said: “We crafted a simple, yet powerful message to Anno fans worldwide: BUILD IT!”.