Landor first donated our strategic expertise to the Memorial & Museum in July 2007 as part of our annual founder's-day celebration. Our entire New York office participated in a Brand Driverâ„¢ workshop on the organization's behalf. Its leaders were so impressed with our ideas that they called on us again in February 2009.

We created a new 9/11 memorial identity that is effective in its simplicity. This idea was the guiding principle of our work and informed the type choice, weight, color, and arrangement. Finding a balance between a compelling visual style and the proper tone and mood for the memorial was important. The typography is modern yet timeless, and the eleven is crafted from two austere blue rectangles that reference the shapes missing from the New York City skyline. Combining the date with the building silhouettes creates an essential connection in people's minds. It is also elegant: a characteristic required by a historical institution whose role is remembrance and education.