Koto’s work honours five decades of Microsoft—from the early days of Windows to today’s AI-powered innovation. It’s a nostalgic yet forward-looking tribute to the people behind the progress, reminding us that change needs big thinkers and makers.
Global design studio Koto has unveiled a new identity to mark Microsoft’s 50th anniversary, celebrating five decades of the tech giant’s influence and legacy while recognising those who are continuing to push things forward today.
For many of us, Microsoft is part of the fabric of growing up: the first computer at school, a clunky grey desktop at home, the thrill of Paint, PowerPoint animations, Minesweeper, and later, Halo, Hotmail, secret card games when the boss wasn’t looking and Excel spreadsheets we’d rather forget. It’s all of this history and progress that Koto took inspiration from.
But Koto also crafted the campaign brand around the idea that ‘Change Needs Makers’. Because if it weren’t for the people behind Microsoft, we wouldn’t benefit from all the pioneering software and culture-shaping innovations we have today. Nor would we see its current AI-powered era.
With all this in mind, Koto’s system hinges on three adaptable storytelling structures: Worlds, which place people and products inside vibrant, imagined landscapes that celebrate possibility; Iconic Moments, which honour defining achievements from Microsoft’s five-decade journey; and Then & Now, a juxtaposition of eras that captures the company’s constant reinvention.
The result is a dynamic, optimistic campaign that connects past and present with the future—through bold visuals, imaginative compositions, and nods to the cultural moments that defined generations.
That’s why the visual language has a nice dose of familiarity, but it is also designed to feel fresh. The 50th-anniversary logo, for example, takes off the original Windows design but gives it more 3D and motion to suit today’s digital spaces. Typography leans on Segoe Sans Display, echoing Microsoft’s heritage, while a vibrant colour palette of six heritage-inspired gradients infuses warmth and optimism throughout.
“Microsoft’s 50th isn’t just about looking back—it’s about reinforcing what has always set the company apart: its spirit of continuous innovation,” explains Cassidy Moriarty, Koto’s strategy director. “This campaign had to honour Microsoft’s legacy without feeling nostalgic for nostalgia’s sake.
“The ‘Change needs makers’ encapsulates that idea—a recognition of those who shaped the last five decades and a challenge to those defining the next. Our strategy was clear: tell a story that connects Microsoft’s past, present, and future—one that keeps people at the heart and invites the next generation to shape what’s next.”
Joe Ling, creative director at Koto, adds, “Every design decision—from the dynamic worlds to the way artefacts frame people’s impact at Microsoft—was intentional.
“We wanted to show Microsoft not just as a company but as a catalyst for creativity, innovation, and achievement. The challenge was to create a system that felt expansive yet cohesive, able to flex across history and the future while always keeping the changemakers at its centre.”
Whether seen across digital platforms, internal comms, partner rollouts or at Microsoft’s official 50th event earlier this month, the campaign’s touchpoints serve as powerful reminders of a company that helped define the tech landscape—and is still defining it.
Koto, the studio behind the work, has certainly made a name for itself, crafting identities for global names like Google Gemini, Netflix, and Venmo. The campaign identity for Microsoft’s 50th isn’t just another excellent trophy piece for a studio that has recently celebrated its 10th birthday; it’s a good reminder that innovation never sits still, and neither should we.