There's a new brand in town. Announced today in the Winnipeg Free Press, So/Po Square is set to change the face of downtown Winnipeg. We had the privilege of working with Artis, Longboat and MPI to create a name and a brand that truly reflects their vision for the project. Here's a little peek at our process for this project.

We started with some keywords: Relaxed yet professional, upscale casual, distinguished, smart and sharp.

Then we chose a character: Sean Connery as James Bond.

The character and keywords helped influence a mood board of inspiration.

From there, logo, colours, imagery, tone of voice and style all followed suit.



 

The sharp and elegant logo leaves room for variations of colour, texture and tone that will reflect all the options that So/Po Square will offer Winnipeg.

A brand that has its own strength of character and can still accommodate partnerships with future brands of a major hotel chain, upscale casual restaurants, a world-class spa and the office tenants. A modern, but timeless brand that will gain texture and patina as it evolves into the physical space through signage, material and colour options that reinforce the experience of the location.

Welcome to So/Po Square.

A logo is born. From Netherlands-based Buro Reng.

 

Artphy Centrum voor kunst en Filosofie (Center for Art and Philosophy) from BURO RENG on Vimeo.

A series of modernist logos crafted for each of Canada's 13 provinces and territories by Michael George Haddad.



 

 

Every client’s approach and expectation to the branding and design process is unique. In the case of Entegra, they came with very thorough knowledge and understanding of their industry, their members and the marketplace.

Because they were creating a new high-interest online savings option, they needed a name, a brand and a site design.

To begin, we worked with them to define in rich detail what they envisioned for the future of the service in the context of their business goals, their culture and their reputation. During a one day session with the team, we covered a lot of ground, and a collection of statements about the future was defined. Here’s a small sampling of their Forecast:

• We are leading with smarter, simpler technology and a brand and culture that makes customers proud that they have chosen us.

• We earn our customers’ confidence because we are frank, smart and informative and we don’t play games.

• The online support team is a fun and dynamic group. We treat our clients, and each other, consistently well.

Step two was a comprehensive branding session, where (among many other things) Entegra defined the key value statements that would define the new entity. They are:

• We earn our members’ trust.

• We offer top of market rates.

• Our service offerings are consistent and predictable. (Although we are innovative and take managed risks)

• Our service is easy to use and comfortable.

• Investments are safe and secure - 100% guaranteed

Step three, this baby needed a name. For us, creating or selecting a name is a specific process, that includes all the information collected in the previous two sessions and a pre-determined criteria to judge potential names against. Only then do we throw hundreds of names on the wall. Once we’re exhausted, we narrow the list back down based on the criteria. Usually at this point we add a few more, remove a few more and finally, all candidates are eliminated but a few. Five names were provided to Entegra, one was recommended, two more we thought were strong possibilities, the final two, less so. They accepted our recommendation and Implicity was named.

Step four was the development of the logo. Once again, we presented three options, one was recommended, and they agreed. From this point forward, the balance of the brand, the colour palette, the fonts, the tone of voice and the brand patterns and icons were created. It all came together, like this: (click here)

With the US election fast approaching it seemed like an appropriate time for designer Meg Jannott to take it upon herself to rebrand the US Presidents. She was looking for a project she could do on her own time, that would challenge her creatively and would force her to stay on top of a series of designs. At the beginning of the process she did research on each president to find out special traits and various things they were known for to base her designs on. Things such as nicknames, quotes etc. were kept in mind to add the individuals' personality to the typography and photography styles. Here are a few examples of the work she has done on the series so far, more can be seen on her tumblr. You can also check out some of her other work here.



 

In honor of it being Friday, and in anticipation of Beer O'Clock (Beer O'Clock of course, being the time nearing the end of the day when you kick back with your work pals and enjoy a beer or two before saying hello to the weekend); I thought I would share with you some of the best looking beer I've recently laid eyes upon. Being a graphic designer, I tend to make most of my purchasing decisions based on how good something looks. Beer of course is no exception. Here are some of my top picks worthy of a spot on the shelf long after the beer is gone.

 

Logos can be like relationships. Sometimes it's love at first sight. Sometimes it's like looking at someone across a crowded bar and thinking, "Meh, good enough." And sometimes it's a long courtship that grows and evolves. In Ferrari's case it was more like a blind date set up by a pushy aunt. What does this say about how much weight rests on logo design as it pertains to a company's success? Is logo design now more critical than it was "back in the day"? I would argue it is given the fact that design in general is held in higher regard today than ever before. I'd also say that people hold brands to a higher standard than they ever have and that logos are created to represent those standards. It would be interesting to think of what Ferrari's logo might look like if it was created today. I would almost guarantee that the idea of a horse wouldn't even make it from pencil to the sketchpad.

Last week, as we were frantically moving toilets around the office, I got an e-mail from Claire Watson at IABC (International Association of Business Communicators). It seems our Folklorama Rebrand won a Silver Leaf award of merit in the 2010 competition, ranking it among the top 20 per cent of all work that was submitted.

This is particularly pleasing because: 1) IABC is a well-respected truly international organization that sets and holds high standards for communication 2) we won the award when they moved it from the original category of Marketing Communication to Brand Communication and 3) we would have scored much higher if we had before and after stats to prove effectiveness—something all communicators would love to do on every campaign, but rarely can because time and money gets in the way.

So, congratulations to our own Kerri Lynn Wilkinson, who created this brand and literally made it dance. The evaluators called it "stunning creative and excellent branding work."

And thanks to the Board, Leadership Team and volunteers at Folklorama, who recognized the need and worked with us to define where they're heading and why.

It's been a great project for a fabulous client—the award just adds to the fun.

I don't, actually, but ilovedust's work and new blog which they just launched this month are something worth bookmarking. I especially like their graphics and product sections. And their slight obsession with gold foil.

Remember when you were 7 and you'd grab a big bowl of cereal and plop down in front of your favourite cartoon on Saturday morning? No logos, no product placement... just clean innocent childlike hilarity? Well, this animated film is pretty much the antithesis of that. Fun, violent, and amazingly creative, it speaks for itself. This Academy Award winning film was directed by the French animation collective H5, François Alaux, Hervé de Crécy + Ludovic Houplain. Enjoy!



Logorama from Marc Altshuler - Human Music on Vimeo.