Melville

What Melville does

Melville Brand Design GmbH is a privately held, partner-owned creative agency headquartered in Munich (Goethestraße 20, 80336 München), founded in 2008 and structured as a German GmbH. The firm delivers end-to-end branding and communication services across visual and editorial, print and digital, and experiential and virtual platforms — covering brand identity, editorial and book design, digital and web design, exhibition and trade-fair design, social media services, and in-house videography, photography, and motion design. Two proprietary in-house brands, MAKERS BIBLE (a craftsmanship and maker-manifesto publication series with co-branded collaborations including Leica, A. Lange & Söhne, Polestar, and Mercedes Benz G-Class) and 100FOR10 (an artist-book series exceeding 100 publications), function simultaneously as portfolio assets, marketing vehicles, and independent revenue streams.

The agency serves a client base that spans enterprise multinationals (adidas since 2008, Canon since 2005, BMW, Bentley, Mercedes Benz, Samsonite, Fjällräven, Jack Wolfskin, ProSiebenSat.1), premium artisan manufacturers (Kettnaker, Roeckl, Strenesse, SIGG), publishers (Prestel, Random House, Slanted Publishers), cultural and government institutions (Neues Museum Nürnberg, Die Neue Sammlung, Landratsamt München), and local SMBs (Olivanova, Optimist Coffee Roasters, Münchner Käse Manufaktur). Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales backed by portfolio visibility through Behance, Vimeo, Instagram, and LinkedIn, and recurring work is secured through long-tenured client relationships rather than project-based RFP cycles. The four-partner leadership team — Managing Director Michael Schmidt (ex-Wieden & Kennedy Amsterdam, DDB, Saatchi & Saatchi), Creative Director Prof. Lars Harmsen (also head of Slanted Publishers and founder of Volcano-Type, professor at FH Dortmund), and Art Directors Johannes König and Florian Brugger — combines agency-side pedigree with academic and editorial authority. Awards span German Design Award, European Design Award, Red Dot Communication Design, TDC Typographic Excellence, Berliner Type, and the Innovationspreis der Deutschen Druckindustrie. No external investment, no parent company, and no subsidiaries are disclosed.

Name

Melville

Legal name

Melville Brand Design GmbH

Website

https://melvilledesign.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Melville Brand Design is a Munich-based, partner-owned creative agency delivering 360° branding, editorial, digital, and exhibition design for enterprise clients including adidas, Canon, BMW, and Bentley, plus premium artisan and cultural-institution accounts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative / Brand Design Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Packaging & Brand Identity Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Visual Identity & Brand Design Systems (BPAFAEAC), Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL), Naming & Verbal Identity (Taglines, Messaging) (MPAAAEAB)

Keywords

• Creative agency services
• Brand identity design
• Editorial design
• Exhibition design
• Corporate communication

Headquarters

HQ city

München

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Creative Agency Services: Project-based professional services for branding, web design, editorial design, exhibition design, videography, and social media services. Revenue comes from client projects ranging from brand identity work to comprehensive 360-degree campaigns. Long-standing client relationships (e.g., Canon since 2005, adidas since 2008, Marc O'Polo since 2019) suggest ongoing retainer or project-based work.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Melville Brand Design is a Munich-based creative agency that sells 360-degree branding and communication services to enterprise and institutional clients. Core deliverables include brand identity development, editorial and book design, web and digital design, exhibition and trade fair design, videography, and social media design. The agency also operates two in-house content brands, MAKERS BIBLE and 100FOR10, which double as commercial publications and creative showcases.

Product overview

Melville Brand Design is a Munich-based creative agency offering a comprehensive suite of branding and communication services. The agency operates two in-house brands: Makers Bible (a quality/craftsmanship manifesto publication series) and 100FOR10 (an artists' book series with over 100 publications). Core services include brand design, digital design, and brand experience/exhibition design, complemented by specialized offerings in videography, social media services, and editorial design. The agency's holistic approach spans visual and editorial, print and digital, and experiential platforms, serving clients ranging from global brands (Adidas, Canon, BMW) to local artisan businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MAKERS BIBLE: A manifesto for quality, passion and craftsmanship. A series of profiles of makers and crafted brands across the world whose work is their life, with editorial-directed and produced books and an online journal.
• 100FOR10

Products and services

• Brand Design Brand identity development service covering logo design, visual identity systems, and brand strategy for enterprise and institutional clients.
• Digital Design Web design, digital publishing, and digital media design services delivered to enterprise clients such as adidas, Canon, Samsonite, and iF Design.
• Brand Experience Exhibition design, trade fair design, event branding, and experiential marketing services, including work for Neues Museum Nürnberg, Die Neue Sammlung, and the bayern design stand at IAA Mobility 2023.
• Editorial Design Book design, catalogue, brochure, and print collateral design services for publishers (Prestel, Random House, Daab Verlag) and enterprise clients (Kettnaker, Emschergenossenschaft, Klassik Radio).
• Videography Video production service covering social media clips, image films, storytelling films, fashion films, event documentaries, editing, and motion design, produced in-house for clients such as Mercedes-Benz G-Class and Roeckl.
• Social Media Services Social media design and management service including channel analysis, feed design and branding, content creation, and channel management for clients such as Marc O'Polo, adidas, and Samsonite.
• MAKERS BIBLE Proprietary in-house publication brand positioned as a manifesto for quality, passion, and craftsmanship. Features profiles of makers and crafted brands, with larger English editions on dedicated topics and compact German regional guides to makers and retailers, distributed as editorial-produced books and an online journal.
• 100FOR10 Proprietary curated artist book series featuring personal, rough-hewn artists' books from over 100 international artists from Hamburg to Tokyo. Combines illustration, photography, text, graphics, and collage, often accompanied by exhibitions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Long-term client relationships spanning 15+ years with major brands
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers26 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and moderate.

• The Future:Project AGminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaborated with iF Design to publish the 2025 iF Design Trend Report. The Future:Project AG provides future trend analysis content.
• bayern designcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023bayern design is the international competence center for design in Bavaria. Melville served as the art agency for the bayern design stand at IAA Mobility 2023, handling exhibition stand concept, reusable modular grid system, graphic design, and project management.
• Unnasch and FriendsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2023Trade fair construction partner for bayern design IAA Mobility 2023 exhibition stand.
• iF DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMelville has been iF Design's design partner for four years, developing the iF Design Trend Report (2022, 2023, 2025 editions). The partnership involves creating interactive PDF trend reports featuring AI-generated introduction motifs and intuitive navigation systems.
• ZukunftsinstitutminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-author alongside iF Design for the iF Design Trend Report 2022 and 2023 editions. Zukunftsinstitut provides trend research expertise.
• Slanted PublisherscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated entity led by Melville Creative Director Lars Harmsen. Slanted Publishers produces design publications including Yearbook of Type, Typodarium, Photodarium, and others. Melville collaborates with Slanted on projects like Film Festival Cologne programme books.
• 100for10 Artists NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMelville's curated artist book series featuring over 100 international artists. Each artist contributes to a personal, rough-hewn artist's book. The project serves as both a creative outlet and commercial collaboration source.
• Poster RexcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Melville Creative Director Lars Harmsen and Markus Lange in 2014 after a screen printing workshop in Cuba. Poster Rex conducts international printing sessions and workshops, with over 3,000 unique poster pieces created. Featured in exhibitions including Neues Museum Nürnberg.
• Makers Bible Brand PartnersmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrands that have collaborated with Makers Bible include Leica Cameras, A. Lange & Söhne, Van Berkel International, Neff, bulthaup, Mercedes Benz G-Class, Axor Design, Polestar, ClassiCon. These are co-branding opportunities where Makers Bible features artisan brands.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Strichpunkt: Stuttgart and Munich-based design and branding agency offering brand identity, editorial, digital, and motion design for enterprise clients. Closely comparable to Melville in scope (360° branding), DACH footprint, and target client profile.
• KMS Team: Munich-based brand consultancy delivering corporate identity, brand strategy, and design for global enterprises including automotive and consumer brands. Highly comparable to Melville in geography, services, and blue-chip client mix.
• Bureau Borsche: Munich-based independent design studio specializing in visual identity, editorial, and brand design with strong typographic expertise. Comparable to Melville in scale, DACH focus, and emphasis on typography-driven editorial design.
• Meiré und Meiré: Cologne-based creative agency offering brand design, communication, and experiential work for premium and enterprise brands. Comparable to Melville in service breadth (brand, digital, spatial) and award-winning positioning.
• Loved GmbH: Hamburg-based independent creative agency working across branding, digital, content, and editorial design for European and international clients. Directly comparable to Melville in boutique scale and full-service creative positioning.

Broad incumbents

• MetaDesign: Berlin/Zurich-based brand consultancy (now part of Publicis Groupe) with global operations in brand strategy, identity, and digital experience. Broader incumbent offering overlapping Melville's services at a much larger scale.
• Landor & Fitch: Global brand consulting and design firm (WPP) covering brand strategy, identity, and experience design. Overlaps with Melville's enterprise branding services but at significantly larger scale and global geographic footprint.
• Pentagram: Global independent design partnership with offices worldwide covering brand identity, editorial design, and digital. Comparable in independent partnership model and editorial/identity craft focus, but with significantly larger scale and global reach than Melville.

Regional players

• Studio Dumbar: Rotterdam-based design studio known for identity design, typography, and motion. Comparable in premium editorial and identity craftsmanship but primarily serves Dutch and European clients rather than DACH-specific enterprises.
• Sagmeister (Sagmeister Inc.): New York-based independent design studio specializing in brand identity, typography, and experimental design. Comparable in editorial/typography-led premium positioning and award profile, but operates in the US market rather than DACH.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/melvilledesign
• Facebookfacebook.com/melvillebranddesign
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/12804173
• Instagraminstagram.com/melvillebranddesign

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Melville