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STUDIO HERRSTRÖM

Vienna, Austria

October 15, 2026

Mindsparkle Mag

Taking a record label for a spin: Milkshake's car-culture identity

Milkshake was founded in 2019 to give artists a more personal kind of label experience, closer to the full world around the music. Part label and part management company, the Stockholm-based division of Sony Music Entertainment works across left-of-centre pop and alt-pop, with a roster that includes Molly Sandén, Felix Sandman and Dunalia. Its new identity comes from Vienna-based STUDIO HERRSTRÖM, which set out to turn the label's origin story and artist-first mindset into a flexible visual system.

The previous look was recognisable, expressive and colourful, but by 2025 the label had outgrown it. Milkshake needed a clearer brand identity that could reflect a more mature company without losing what made it special. The brief was to help it grow into its next stage while staying artist-first, experimental and undeniably its own.

The visual direction came from a place that had always been part of the story: the car. The name Milkshake was first suggested on a car ride, when someone brought up milkshakes simply because the founding team loved them. Over the years, important milestones kept happening in cars, and new music was literally taken "for a spin" to test it, pitch it and feel it in motion.

Poster featuring the text “Milkshake” in bold gray typography, with a young woman crouching in front of greenery.
Bold neon yellow typography dominates the cover, highlighting Milkshake's car-culture identity in a striking visual style.
A close-up of a model with wet hair, wearing bold silver earrings, overlaid with pink design elements representing Milkshake.

The new logotype builds on the splash energy of the old brand but gives it a more grown-up, focused form. Alongside it, the studio drew a rounded symbol with a blended shape, inspired by the way metal, liquid and surrounding objects seem to merge into one another. The result is a mark that feels both physical and fluid, quick to notice and hard to ignore around a release.

A clear blender adorned with colorful stickers, embodying Milkshake's playful car-culture identity.

The wider system borrows from road signs, car details, pop culture and shake flavours. Information lockups are modelled on car window stickers and milk carton nutrition labels, giving track names, release dates and even the p-line symbol a natural home. Set in Gates, a neo-grotesque from Context Type, the typography adds a clear editorial structure without ever feeling rigid.

Bright yellow reflective fabric features Milkshake branding and logos, emphasizing the car-culture identity in the design.
A bright yellow safety vest featuring Milkshake branding and bold black typography on a gradient background.

Colour pairs fresh flavour cues with road-inspired tones, and the high contrast keeps Milkshake recognisable across artist campaigns, label communications and digital channels. Iconography adds moments of curiosity, letting the brand shift between structured, playful and experimental expressions. It gives the label enough structure to hold everything together and enough freedom to keep each artist at the centre.

A striking advertisement for Milkshake featuring a model in a black outfit with vibrant pink typography.

Branding & Visual Identity: STUDIO HERRSTRÖM

Creative Director: Erik Herrström

Design: Kara Griffin Cushman

Design: Martin Carlsson

Design: Matouš Marťák

Design: Lisa Endresz

Design: Marcell Gulyas

Design: Vasco Vicente

Design: Kimelle Fleary

Case Study Photography: Goda Kraštinaitytė

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