This is one was a badass piece. Not just because the system is great but because the client is very complex.

This client company culture is peculiar. Most people working here are incredibly nice people, but all of them are producers, amazing doers, but not the strategic kind. Actually, there is no strategy team in their marketing department. Just people running things.

As you might have guessed, that’s the same reason for their dated processes, business solutions, and… well, their brand.

These folks don’t do well with change, so when it comes to branding, there is a lot of marketing education that needs to happen, hours of data collection, insights, and planning presentations, trying to make the decision-makers see there is a better state to reach beyond the horizon, still… they prefer not to walk a new path. Falling by the comforts of their corporate culture, they prefer to stay right where they were (for now 😉).

This one is one of 3 final drafts. Rebranding Round 1.

Very simple approach. It’s all about openness and inclusion.

1. New font to rh the logo

2. Break the company name into two lines to change the shape without losing the legacy

3. Add colors to the ecosystem to reflect inclusion.

4. A new grid for the visual system

Never have I seen a case more truthful to the phrase: “The client has the brand they deserve.” Years ago, I heard a couple of art directors discussing some recent executions of one of their clients, referring to how big missed opportunity these had by being “safe” by not innovating and listening to their audience and change. One of them dropped this words of wisdom: “It was not lack of talent or vision, it was not the agency or the studio, or lack of resources. It was their culture. Their politics and their internal culture got in the way of making something awesome., the choices they made, the direction they approved. The client (and the company/product) has the brand they deserve.”

It’s funny how the psychology of corporate works. Sometimes feels like main objective of the project gets lost behind all of the items on the stakeholders agendas. Change is good, but no one says how hard it is.

EDIT:
After 2 more iterations we made it happen. Amazing work of my team. Check it out here.