Cash is King

A quick chat with YG10 winner Ivan Cash about his studio rebrand

With an oversaturated market for just about everything these days, brands need to be unique to stand out from the crowd. Whether you’re the newest can of draft latte on the grocery store shelf or a decade-old boutique creative agency in NYC, everyone wants to put their best self forward.

So, for its ten-year anniversary, Cash Studios invested in a fresh and fabulous brand image redesign. Young Guns 10 winner and founder of Cash Studios, Ivan Cash, collaborated with Young Guns 13 winner and founder of Dazzle Studio, Zipeng Zhu. This rebrand is on point with a slight nod to paper bills, because after all, cash is king.

We caught up with Ivan to learn about his design studio’s exciting new look.

You have a new Cash Studios brand image to show off proudly. What prompted you to do a Cash Studios redesign?

We had the old brand for nearly a decade. It was time. We wanted an ID that was more versatile and contemporary, that would look equally as good in motion as printed on merch.

"We wanted an ID that was more versatile and contemporary, that would look equally as good in motion as printed on merch."

What are one or two aspects of the new redesign that you love the most?

I love how versatile it is, the motion aspect of the new rebrand is my fav, but it also looks great on a hat, tote, and stationary.

Why did you decide to go with a design that resembles the dollar bill?

We actually decided NOT to go with some of the directions that were overtly tied to the dollar bill. Dollar bill symbols and all that jazz. They all felt too on the nose and, frankly, off brand from our mission of “Igniting Humanity Through Storytelling.” But when Zipeng Zhu, the insanely talented designer we worked with, proposed a design that was in the shape of a dollar bill, I thought that was such a clever, subtle solution.

"When Zipeng Zhu, the insanely talented designer we worked with, proposed a design that was in the shape of a dollar bill, I thought that was such a clever, subtle solution."

Why did you decide to collaborate with Zipeng Zhu on your branding?

After some internal explorations, it made sense to bring in an outside designer. I have been a fan of Zipeng’s work for a while, and we’ve become friends in the past few years. He’s one of the best in the biz. His work is clever, expressive, bold, and dynamic. I loved the identity work his studio did for Grand Crew, and when we spoke, he asked really thoughtful questions that made me confident he and his team could deliver a solution we’d be happy with. Of course, I would love to work with Zhipeng again. Of note: we also collaborated with Santiago Carrasquilla (YG14) on a special hand-made motion element.

Since founding Cash Studios in 2013, how do you feel your brand and your work have evolved over the years?

I was a freelancer with an LLC for most of the past decade, but over time, I started taking on larger projects that required a team. So the brand has evolved beyond just me, there’s a whole team of insanely dedicated people who work under CASH. While the medium we work within has evolved and expanded, the conceptual rigor of our projects remains the same.

Since you and Zipeng Zhu are both past Young Guns winners, in what ways do you feel the Young Guns community has benefited you over the years?

The Young Guns distinction helps elevate recipients’ work, and in getting the YG nod, creates a community of ambitious and talented creatives.

"The Young Guns distinction helps elevate recipients’ work, and in getting the YG nod, creates a community of ambitious and talented creatives."

What’s next for Cash Studios?

We have a few surprises up our sleeves! While completing a wide range of client work—including Substack’s first ever brand campaign with an external partner and some really fun projects with Oatly— we also invest in our own IP.

Currently, we’re producing a feature documentary executive produced by Emmy-winning actor Mandy Patinkin, developing a TV show executive produced by Shepard Fairey, and launching some conceptual products. Stay tuned.

CASHSTUDIOS.CO

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