Full-service digital agency CMYK executed Warner Music Group’s (WMG) rebrand with a new and vibrant digital interface. Their team redesigned the website to tell WMG’s unique brand story. The experience is unconventional and bright yet functional and compelling, moving from standard website scroll to embrace storytelling in the user journey.

The cutting-edge project was shortlisted under Websites and Mobile Sites during the 27th Annual Webby Awards. It was also spotlighted in Crafted with Code, a collaborative showcase of the year’s most innovative websites made in WordPress, curated by The Webby Awards and WP Engine.

CMYK was recognized for developing an experience that strikes the right balance between craft and functionality. Not only was ease of use a priority here, but memorability and distinction. To power the back end of this digital experience, the CMYK team required a flexible and fluid tech stack. 

“The new platform was going to have a lot of visibility, so it was imperative that we had a trusted partner on board to support us,” said Scher. “We knew that some of the most important things that WP Engine could bring to the table was infrastructure and scalability.” 

Diving In: How CMYK Brought the Build to Life with WP Engine

During production, CMYK leveraged resources in WP Engine’s Agency Partner Program (APP), a global program leading large and small agencies to create great work by equipping them with bespoke resources from the WordPress team. 

With priority access to WordPress technical support—from unlimited staging to exclusive WP Builder tools and themes—the program was instrumental in actualizing CMYK’s vision. 

“What resulted was a highly dynamic and interactive design that pushed the limits of what you would expect,” said Adam Scher, Creative Director of CMYK. “WordPress gave us a framework to provide structure to the backend experience, allowing for content to be very easily added and updated.” 

The program gave CMYK the technical groundwork for the project, allowing a fluid and flexible production workflow that doesn’t impact the quality of the work. It created room for their team to effectively translate WMG’s ideas, allowing them to focus on exceptional client execution. 

“CMYK is first and foremost a storyteller. They are expert storytellers and they excel at bringing their customers’ visions to life through vibrant creative and best in class technology,” said Rami Perry, WP Engine’s Senior Strategic Partner Manager. “They chose WordPress through WP Engine for the ability to have best in breed creative capabilities with a technical backend built for growth.”

This support allowed CMYK to experiment with different ideas and all creative routes. Their team was able to create a dynamic interface that showcases technical craft but with ease and simplicity in the backend. 

“This allows us to know that our clients are in the best hands, and that whatever we create for them will be well taken care of,” said Scher. “This type of foundation allows us to focus on the big picture creative and vision of a project.” 

At a point where the digital industry is continually ramping up performance with limited resources, the APP network provides the necessary external tools to keep up. From direct access to the WordPress experts to the vast network of top agencies in the program, CMYK harnessed the program’s industry insights and expertise in their cutting-edge project. 

“We are able to put our resources towards the big picture, ideation, and execution,” said Scher. “And leverage WP Engine’s developer tools and support for everything and anything related to hosting, migration, security, and performance.” 

Staying Ahead of the Curve with WP Engine’s Agency Partner Program

One of the key resources CMYK utilized is the expert Partner Manager they were assigned to oversee their growth. Partner managers ensure agencies WP Engine works with have the strategy, opportunities and resources to create successful work for clients and scale their business.

“We help CMYK source, win, and scale customers,” said Perry. “We work together to identify the story being told, what technologies could help accomplish this vision, and bring that creative stack back to the customer.”

Having their tech stack and project strategy fostered closely built a firm foundation for CMYK to execute the website for WMG successfully. Not only did the program create the right environment to develop good work, but it expanded their capabilities in the process. 

“It has been incredible to see the CMYK team scale from a dynamic duo to a team of 25 creative technologists,” said Perry. “We’ve been a key Partner to help them see this market, expand their expertise for sales and support, and highlight incredible customers along the way. We can’t wait to see what’s next!”

Learn More

Find out how you can discover new clients, grow your business and take your work to the next level with WP Engine’s Agency Partner Program—WordPress’ largest agency ecosystem. 

Apply now to get personalized tech support and gain exposure across a global network of the industry’s best agencies.