Rebranding Atlantic Records for a new era

We speak to Atlantic Records’ creative director and Explorers Club Studio about the challenge of redefining one of the world’s biggest record labels to keep pace with a rapidly changing music industry

From its origins as an R&B and soul label with the likes of Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles, through to its rock ‘n’ roll era with Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones, Atlantic Records has been behind some of the most significant figures in music history. Fast-forward to today, and it’s home to artists ranging from Fred again.. to Burna Boy and has morphed into a label that caters for all styles and genres of artists, “because that’s what music consumption is now,” says Atlantic Records UK creative director Luke Tipping.

Amid a rapidly changing music industry, where the role of traditional labels is increasingly being called into question, Atlantic Records’ recent 75th anniversary felt like an apt moment to take a better look at itself. “One of the things we said is we spend so much time developing artists’ brands that we sort of neglect our own brand,” says Tipping.