"A guide isn’t about rules, it’s about lighting the spark. In a world hijacked by creativity, inspiration leads, and the rest follows."
It’s not everyday you are asked to create a style guide for people who won’t touch style guides. When MTV’s International division approached us with this brief - crafting a guide for their global channels - we had a feeling the results could either be amazing or catastrophically mediocre - there was no safe middle ground. We came up with the concept of "Hijacking Reality". Based on the idea that this particular style guide should be inspirational, rather than dictating, it came in the form of a scrapbook, built around the concept that MTV’s reality is a hijacked version of our reality - one where streets are for dancing, cribs are huge and Cristal is the preferred form of sustenance.
Welcome to the DIY Reality Hijack Box Set: Inside the Reality Hijack Box, we delivered tools for disruption. A scrapbook, spray cans, and stencils were packed so creatives across MTV offices could make their mark, transforming their spaces to feel raw and true to their culture- yet unified by the same stencils. We also threw in vintage T-shirts, each stenciled with the slogan, and stickers for even more DIY rebellion. It wasn't just a kit, it was an invitation to hijack your environment.
MTV Reality Hijack DIY Box Set
MTV Reality Hijack Scrapbook
"We didn’t follow the rules - we hid a book inside the book. Because when you hijack reality, even the guide to it should surprise you."
In true MTV fashion, we took the idea of a traditional style guide and flipped it on its head. Hidden within the scrapbook, we’ve bound a smaller book right in the middle—breaking boundaries, just like the brand itself. This isn’t just about design rules, it’s about rewiring your thinking. A guide within a guide, a surprise waiting to be discovered, just like MTV’s constant reinvention of reality.
MTV Reality Hijack Digital Brand Guide
"Why follow the rules when you can hijack the whole system? We took Microsoft Office and made it MTV’s own."
We also created an interactive version and went a step further—we hijacked the entire Microsoft Office Suite, infusing it with the energy and spirit of MTV’s young culture. Ordinary software turned into a playground for creativity.
MTV new
"'Twisted wonders'- that fleeting moment when a child’s eyes light up with both awe and uncertainty. We captured that magic through flowers, colors, and sound, shaping the surreal beauty of MTV New."
Titles, set-, sound- and logo-design for one of MTV’s most interesting shows, MTV New. Shot with 5 children between the ages of 3 and 8 and tons of flowers, the concept was ‘twisted wonders’ - the amazement that you see in children’s eyes when they see some- thing for the first time, somewhere between being fascinated and being unsure...