MACHAS

“Let’s Reconnect”: Jonathan Calugi x Guuk

Jonathan Calugi’s ongoing collaboration with the new Basque telecommunications company Guuk is all about connection - a central theme in both Jonathan’s style and Guuk’s services. 

The new operator taps into its Basque roots and is bringing to the north-western Spanish region its very first regional internet and mobile network. With a “Let’s reconnect” motto, Guuk and The Summer Agency found in Jonathan Calugi the perfect artist to define their brand identity and communication, making it the very first time illustration has been used in an integrated campaign in the Basque Country.

“I knew it was going to be a good project from the very start”, says Jonathan. “When I finished reading the initial deck that presented Guuk and the agency’s idea, I thought ‘that’s going to be awesome’, because we shared the same vision: like all my works, Guuk is two points connected by a line”.

Jonathan created a series of modern and fluid illustrations focusing on people and human relations, whilst referencing technology and Basque traditions to suit Guuk’s distinctive identity.

“In my work, the challenge is to discover new, undiscovered connections between two points,  while finding a good balance between storytelling and imagination”, explains Jonathan. “It’s like looking at a starry sky at night, and the mind connects the stars with endless different compositions each time. I’ve been working with a one-line style for years, I can say the line follows me, and every time I draw something, I try to find a solution that tells a new story.”

With their ability to be beautifully declined throughout multiple channels, Jonathan’s artworks are used across all of Guuk’s communications and touchpoints - from the brand’s online & offline presence including their physical stores to their region-wide advertising campaigns across print, Out Of Home and TV commercials.

It is the latter that really struck a chord with Jonathan. The three TV commercials, developed in collaboration with animation studio Device, left an impression with the Tuscan artist. “It was great to see a client so eager to fully unlock that aspect of my art. Device did a great job, I saw my line in motion like I have never seen before, and it was amazing!”

Keep your eyes peeled for more work to come!

See Jonathan’s portfolio here.