Gamer Gate (2014)

The “Gamer Gate controversy” started in 2014 as a response to critics of the video game industry. The feminist media critic Anita Sarkeesian was one of the most notable targets of harassment for being vocal about what she considers to be a misogynist and sexist industry and culture. In the mist of #gamergate, Bloomberg hired karlssonwilker to design a cover featuring Anita and well-known video game characters (mostly male).

The design outcome was a fun, crazy cover, filled with a few Easter eggs, one of which is Hjalti’s face on one of the characters.

American Badass (2012)

This magazine was Bloomberg’s best seller on the newsstand to date, with these types of sales figures typically being driven by the cover design. The American Badass issue featured an in-depth analysis into the usually secretive John Deere Company. The article tells the story of an American company being successful right after the economic crises, so the cover design required a sense of pride, patriotism and joy.

The design mixed a 3D model of an extra-strong tractor, a large special-effects explosion, and Americana typography.