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© Serious Business GmbH
München, Germany / Stockholm, Sweden
Founded in 2015, this global branding and design agency has redefined the art of rebranding by focusing on the human element—both in how they collaborate with clients and approach the creative process.
We sat down with their Creative Director, Amadeus, a designer with a knack for balancing bold creativity with a deep understanding of human connection. In this interview, he shares insights into the agency’s recent rebranding, the importance of staying true to core values, and what it takes to create a brand that not only stands out but truly resonates.
Amadeus: We kicked off Serious Business in late 2015 with a simple but ambitious goal: to build a community and a daily workplace where you feel both safely challenged and creatively empowered. Emotional safety is key here—it’s what allows our team to challenge the obvious and take risks. We’re obsessed with the craft, and creating this safe environment lets us push boundaries and make a real impact.
Amadeus: A lot has changed since our last rebrand five years ago. We’ve grown, the world has changed, and so has the way we work. We’ve shifted from a traditional office setup to a global, fully remote community. We were so focused on helping other brands grow that we overlooked our own. Our brand no longer reflected who we are or where we’re headed. It was time to update our identity to better communicate our personality and ensure that every touchpoint feels like meeting us in person. We wanted a brand that reflected the humans behind it, and how fun branding can be.
Rebranding your own agency is a humbling experience. It makes you much more empathetic towards what clients go through. We used the same branding process we apply to our clients—starting with refining our internal strategy, identifying our strengths and weaknesses, and then reworking our visual identity and website. The biggest challenge was finding the time to do it, given that we’re a big team with ongoing client projects. At the same time, it allowed us to see and feel our process in action, and to see the results in the brand we love the most.The whole team contributed in amazing ways, and after some iterations we hit the sweet sopt
“We wanted a brand that reflected the humans behind it, and how fun branding can be.”
Amadeus: Two things: First, that branding should be the most fun part of running a company. Second, we’re a holistic branding agency delivering on the highest expectations. I firmly believe that fun leads to great ideas, and a safe environment fosters creativity. Our new brand and website are all about standing out, having fun, and doing great work. We also wanted to make the website tactile, with micro-interactions that keep users engaged, breaking the typical eight-second attention span.
Amadeus: We started by evaluating our old brand strategy, looking back and forward to see if it still aligned with who we are. Our core values—putting culture over everything, being serious when it matters, and our playful approach to creativity—haven’t changed. For our visual identity, we wanted something that felt so good, you’d want to “lick it.” It had to be tactile and bring a smile to your face. We distilled everything into the new website, balancing serious and fun elements at every corner of the website.
“For our visual identity, we wanted something that looked so good, you’d want to ‘lick it..”
Amadeus: We involved the whole team in revamping our internal values, beliefs, and vision. It was crucial that the new brand made our team proud and excited about their workplace. If the team feels it, it’s much easier for them to communicate it to clients, and for clients to understand what we’re all about. The true test? When your team is pumped and your grandma gets what a branding agency does—that’s when you know you’ve nailed it.
Amadeus: There are a ton of agencies out there that look and say they do similar things. It’s easy to get caught up in designing for other designers, but that’s not our goal. We aim to be straightforward in what we do and evoke the right emotions in our clients. For us, branding is a fun process, and when you enjoy it, the results are always better. As a global agency, our brand needs even more love and attention because our team doesn’t get to live the brand together in a physical space. Most of our interactions are digital, so our brand has to work harder to connect with both our team and our clients. That’s been key for us, especially in how we present our brand on the website—making sure it feels as close to “real-life” as possible, even through a screen.
Amadeus: We’ve got some exciting things in the pipeline—a new shop where you can buy branded products, and we’re prototyping a brand sprint service tailored for early-stage startups. It’s all about continuing to innovate and staying true to our roots while keeping an ear to the ground for cultural shifts that are redefining what people expect from a brand. After almost a decade, we can confidently say that we do branding for startups better than anyone else. Now, it’s about how we can deliver on that promise to more clients and in new, cool ways.
Amadeus: We’re a branding and design agency that loves working with startups and scale-ups. Our sweet spot is rebranding, brand transformation, and launch projects, for both B2B and B2C companies. We’re drawn to innovative, bold startups because they keep us learning and allow us to be a part of their growth journey—from strategy and positioning to visual identity and product design.
Amadeus: Client feedback is crucial! They know their audience and industry best, and we know how to craft a brand identity. Working hand in hand with clients builds the respect and trust needed for a successful collaboration. It’s about leveraging each other’s expertise to create something great.But a harder question to answer is: how do we ensure the client gives the right type of feedback that always pushes the project forward? We approach this by leading the project with the right questions at each step of our process. This helps guide clients to unify their feedback and keep it aligned with our strategically defined goals. That way, we’re always moving in the right direction together.
“A strong, genuine brand builds trust, and that’s what drives long-term success.”
There have been so many attempts to define what a brand truly is, and honestly, it’s a bit of a moving target. Over the years, I’ve collected a few.
Jeff Bezos: “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” It emphasizes that branding is more about the feeling you leave behind than just a logo or a website—it’s the sum of all your brand activities and how coherent they are.
Marty Neumeier: “Branding is the process of connecting good strategy with good creativity.”
Marty’s books have had a big influence on our approach at Serious Business.
So, a good brand goes far beyond just a product name or slogan. It’s about how you walk, talk, and act—building trust and connection with your audience and showing them why they should choose you. It’s that combination of all your brand efforts that truly makes an impact.
Amadeus: Initially, the feedback from your loyal fans (old and current clients, people in your community rooting for you, your grandma) matters most. But over time, success should be reflected in your key objectives—whether that’s more clients, leads, or sales. A strong, genuine brand builds trust, and that’s what drives long-term success.
We see it all the time with our clients after a rebranding project, arculus, for example, was acquired by Jungheinrich just one and a half years later, showcasing the tangible value of a well-executed brand strategy and trustworthy brand. Similarly, Zellerfeld has gained significant international traction with customers and global media attention since we put them on the map with a new brand, attracting clients like Louis Vuitton and Kanye West.
We also recommend doing user research before and after a rebrand to get immediate insights on how it’s resonating.
“It’s about how you walk, talk, and act—building trust and connection with your audience and showing them why they should choose you”
Amadeus: Ask yourself if your brand lacks coherence. Can people tell it’s you from just an ad or a website? Do your team and leadership share the same vision and approach? If your brand no longer represents your direction, values, or goals, it’s time to rebrand. Also, ask your customers how they feel about your brand—if it doesn’t match your strategic values, that’s a clear sign you need to make a change.
Amadeus: Start by asking why you want to rebrand. Are you ready for new markets, going through a merger, or feeling stuck? If the answer is yes, then go for it—you won’t regret investing in yourself. Rebranding is about refreshing, strategizing, and reconnecting with your audience and team. Find the right agency (not Fiverr), involve your team, and be ready to be challenged. The best rebranding comes from asking the tough questions. If you made it to the last question, don’t hesitate to shoot me a message if you want to chat about potentials for your brand.