New York-based creative agency Mogollon has made a name for itself in the music business. I chatted to co-founder Monica Brand for this article in Computer Arts Projects.
Look up Mogollon on Google and the word describes a prehistoric desert people of the American south west, a spectacular mountain rim, a country rock band and a New Mexico ghost town. It’s also the name of the New York-based creative outfit founded by Monica Brand and Francisco Lopez. With a mission to “produce innovative visual work,” Mogollon has built up an enviable roster of clients that includes Madonna, VH1, Warner Bros. and Absolut Vodka.
By any definition, Mogollon can be considered to have ‘made it’.
Beyond their core music work, Mogollon has produced brand identies for CC SKYE, Lisa Linhardt and Vagabond; digital ads for Absolut Vodka; plus film production design for TM Productions.
Ask Monica Brand what her favourite project is and she’s faced with a huge choice. The Escher-inspired logo design on the Sounds of Om CD cover? The Japanese-style waves and dripping clouds that define the website for jeweller Stacy Nolan? Or how about the magazine work they’ve done for the likes of Blender, Tush and Hint? As far as we’re concerned, the art direction for Lisa Lindhardt’s jewellery studio (‘A village east’) is quite simply breathtaking.
“Honestly?” She says. “The covers that we do for our own music mixes are our favourites, and ironically enough, they are our clients favourites as well.” Francisco Lopez regularly puts together the streaming equivalent of the old mix tape for Mogollon FM and makes the collections available on their website. Each selection has its own virtual cover art. And while this might seem like an indulgence, each virtual album is a promo tool, an ongoing digital advert for Mogollon’s artistry.
