“Mr. Mayor” is the new NBC comedy from Robert Carlock and Tina Fey, creators of “30 Rock” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” In the show, wealthy retired businessman and former billboard mogul Neil Bremer (Ted Danson) runs for mayor of Los Angeles and unexpectedly wins, then must figure out how to run the city with the help of members of staff played by Holly Hunter and Bobby Moynahan. Pentagram created a logo and opening titles for “Mr. Mayor” that capture the show’s bright, smart humor and sunny L.A. setting.
The project reunited Pentagram with the creative team behind several hit comedies. “Mr. Mayor” is co-executive produced by Robert Carlock, Tina Fey and Jeff Richmond, who all worked on “30 Rock,” for which Pentagram designed the logo. Pentagram also created the identity and titles for “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” the Netflix series produced by Carlock and Fey, and “Great News,” the previous NBC comedy co-executive produced by Carlock, Fey and Richmond. The designers also worked with co-producer Sean Varga on the new show.
The series is a witty workplace comedy with playful references to pop culture and current events. Danson plays a charismatic private citizen who is tired of the ineptitude of city government and decides he wants to run for office himself. (Any similarity to real-life presidents ends here.) New to politics, Bremer brings an outsider’s perspective and open-minded, can-do attitude to the job, along with a characteristically cheery West Coast disposition and quirky L.A. sense of humor. As “Mr. Mayor” begins, he has just assumed the position of mayor and is putting together a team that includes Hunter as the deputy mayor, Moynihan as the communications director, and Vella Lovell as a social-media influencer turned campaign manager turned chief of staff. At home, he is a single dad to daughter Orly, played by Kyla Kenedy.
The title sequence helps set the stage for the show, incorporating “Mr. Mayor” into the signage for iconic landmarks around L.A., including Beverly Hills Park, the Cinerama Dome, Hollywood Forever Cemetery and Randy’s Donuts. The designers worked the name into the existing signs, carefully recreating the typography to preserve their original character. The images appear in a sequence of stills accompanied by a bright, jaunty theme by composer Jeff Richmond.
The designers wanted the titles to be a love letter to the city and reflect the civic spirit behind the show’s premise. They researched various landmarks and locations, trying to find the right balance between famous and weird, slightly obscure spots that would give the sequence a local, insider flavor that Angelenos would appreciate. The vibrant images and cheery music capture the show’s optimistic, upbeat tone. A hazy gradient over the stills evokes the warm sunlight of L.A., and the images have a slightly saturated, transitory color that suggests the look of Kodachrome film.
This upbeat quality is also reflected in the logo, which resembles a campaign button and was inspired by one of the campaign posters seen in the show. The colors complement the sunny California locale, and the logo and credits appear against a gradient that looks like an L.A. sunset.
