Alma Mater Branding

Alma Mater Records, formerly called 'Hot Mom USA,' was ready for a brand refresh. They wanted to keep something related to “mom” in the name but recognized their name went against their feminist, LGBTQ, POC centered ethos. They needed to elevate their brand. I renamed them Alma Mater, meaning “nourishing mother” in Latin. There’s something quite fresh about taking a stodgy word and subverting it for use in youth culture.

The lions in the logo were inspired by the the Greek goddess Cybele, who was referred to as “alma mater” during ancient times. She would always arrive in a lion-drawn chariot accompanied by wild music and a disorderly, ecstatic following. This was a perfect reference for the brand. I carried this idea of ecstatic disorder into the rest of the identity, using collage elements, illustration, and bright colors. I also design their album art, which reflects the brand identity, but is tailored to each song and artist.