As part of an ongoing push to better connect with Gen Z, The Official Charts, producers of the UK’s Official Singles Chart, has unveiled a new brand identity and digital platform designed to increase a sense of community and engagement.

Electric Mustard headed up the visual update, while Full Fat Things helped to create a first of its kind public music database. The rebrand and new digital archive come as the latest and final part of the brand’s future-focused evolution where the brand aims to bridge the gap between chart website and streaming platform. The combination offers brands and advertisers a new way to meaningfully connect with music fans.

Part of the redesign is a new font and colour palette; cobalt blue, pink, and off-white. Colourful digital stickers and emojis were used to appeal to Gen Z, while an off-white base alludes to the Charts’ historical relevance. “The warm off-white base of the new brand palette combined with the Gen Z-friendly pops of bright digital colour is designed to hint at both the heritage of the charts, with a nod to the resilience of physical music such as vinyl in the digital era, and the desire to know what’s new and what’s popular.” explains Lauren Kreisler, Director of Digital and Brand for Official Charts.

She continues: “It’s a combination of nostalgia and discovery – be that the latest new release from a rising star, or a chart icon like Kate Bush finding a new generation of fans because of Stranger Things”. Capitalising on the popularity of the nostalgia trend, the design aims to solidify the Official Charts’ position within popular culture.

A significant part of the new design is an updated icon. Before, two arrows overlapped to create a “1” from the crossover shading. This hidden number was a little too hidden for some, so it has been hollowed out to create a clearer outline. The arrows have also tilted to match the infamous Number 1 Award. For over 10 years, the Official Charts has been handing out its Number 1 Award to hugely successful artists like Ed Sheeran, Billie Eilish, and Stormzy. Marrying the two designs, the icon and trophy, reaffirms the brand’s connection to the coveted awards and their famous winners.

Alongside these changes, OfficialCharts.com has launched a public music database. The database gives users access to the charts in a multitude of ways, holding both current and previous charts. It has chart data about music from over 50,000 artists and a variety of genres, as well as a list of every hit that has ever made it onto a chart - all 167,000 of them. The archive combines data with streaming, allowing users to listen to audio clips from any song that has charted.

By providing simultaneous access to both the Charts’ website and a streaming platform, the archive aims to further encourage audience engagement. Audio isn’t the only way of using the platform, there are also short video countdowns of Top 10s and chart facts about songs and albums. These quick-to-access features have been designed to mirror the short and causal content young audiences are currently consuming.

The addition to OfficialCharts.com coincides with an independent research study by CultureStudio, ‘The Official Chart – The ‘People’s Algorithm’. They found that 69% of chart followers use it as their main way of discovering new music. Of these, 72% were under the age 25. According to respondents, the charts are an unbiased way to find popular new music. This offers an alternative to receiving recommendations from a personalised selection of songs curated by streaming services, as Kreisler comments, “Seventy years on from the first ever Singles Chart being published, the Official Charts attracts an engaged digital audience looking to escape their algorithm bubbles. They turn to Official Charts to ensure they’re across popular culture – seeking verified music information, new releases, and a joyful, comforting nostalgia fix to shake off the heaviness of today’s news agendas”.

As well as increased functionality, the update to OfficialCharts.com also brings opportunities for brands and advertisers. Looking to create “brand-safe contextual campaigns and bespoke partnerships in a genuinely unique, trusted and positive environment”, Lauren Kreisler says the Official Charts are opening their doors to advertising. The move anticipates greater website traffic in line with the website’s visual and functional updates.

With a fresh new look and an updated offering that takes into account the changing needs of a Gen Z audience, The Official Charts update prepares the brand for a new era of music.