IDENTITY OF NATIONAL PUBLISHER OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE “VESELKA [RAINBOW]”: BRAND AND REBRANDING

Abstract

This study examines the key components of the visual style of the National Children’s Literature Publishing House “Veselka” as a brand identifier, a conveyor of traditions and national cultural values, and a means of emotional communication with a young readership over the course of 90 years (1934–2024). The aim of the study: to identify the distinctive features of the components of Veselka Publishing House’s visual identity (naming, logos, emblems, brand character, identity carriers) and to trace their transformation in historical retrospect, rebranding under the influence of socio-political transformations, ideological narratives, and technological developments. Relevance and novelty of the study: This is the first comprehensive analysis of the main elements of identity and the variability of their use in the book design of the “Veselka” Publishing House and on other media from a historical perspective spanning 90 years. Studying the experience of creating a cohesive aesthetic for an exclusive national brand is relevant today for publishers, book scholars, marketers, art historians, and contemporary designers – as a model and foundation for new creative ideas. The uniqueness of the “Veselka” publishing house lies in the fact that its teams of art editors and over a thousand freelance artists, illustrators, and designers have, over the course of 90 years, created a national school of children’sbook art, and over 10,000 titles of books covering a wide variety of topics, literary genres, and design styles constitute a national cultural heritage that provides researchers and professionals in the fields of book art, graphic design, and branding with a broad scope for research