Projector

A nice little package made it’s merry way to Projector towers this delightful and sunny World Cup funday Friday. To be completely honest, despite being expected, there was still an abundant feeling of suprise and excitement amongst the troops as the delivery beamed it’s way into the studio. Recently, alongside our studio sharing sister company (the web design agency Union Room) we have been working on a submission for .Net magazine’s recent special on new innovation in Betting company websites. Union Room tasked us with creating a visual identity for a fictional betting company “Betterbet” that they could then take on and use to demonstrate their experience and skill at creating online communications for the betting industry. Having worked in this sector previously with WBX we jumped at the chance.

The main focus of the Betterbet brand was to concisely encapsulate it’s position as the most enlightened and knowledgeable betting brand. This would be it’s unique brand selling point. It led us to looking into various ways of graphically suggesting that the viewer was dealing with a company, furlongs ahead of it’s competition.

We started at the drawing board, sketching different graphic logo marques (in our research we realised the use of logo marques amongst betting companies are few and far between, which would give “Betterbet” a more standout quality) which concentrated on various ways of pointing to success.

After having a studio meeting and critiquing the logo sketches, a handful were selected to be worked up in Illustrator, in preparation for a presentation with Union Room. We opted to go with three routes to present.

The first route was based on the more celebratory aspect of betting. The Betterbet logo marque is an abstract icon of a man in the throes of celebration upon winning his bet, throwing his arms into the air. This alludes to the point that, when betting with Betterbet you have more of a chance of a successful stake, due to the indepth statistical knowledge that they provide as part of their service. The font chosen was a friendly and appealing sans serif to aid the welcoming appeal of the man’s celebration. A warm orange was chosen to enhance the appeal, alongside a darker rich blue, to exude a feeling of wealth.

Our second option went for the use of an abstract finish line, to show Betterbet as a pace setting betting brand. The second option utlises an italicised sans serif to give the logotype a dynamic sporting edge. The colours chosen are a dark green off set with a more striking, brighter green.

Our third route…

After much discussion and assessment with Glen and Jordan from Union Room, we came to a decision. We opted for route 3, the graphic target. This symbolises the fact that Betterbet gets it spot on due it being the most informed of all betting brands. It hunts down the best odds, has in depth background information, so you know you have the full picture before pledging your money.

In terms of colour, the idea was to keep it fresh and modern giving it a unique colour scheme to separate it from other bookmakers. We were also keeping in mind the “value for money” overall look and feel of the brand. When choosing logotype we opted for a no-nonsense bold sans-serif approach. The type Akzidenz Grotesk, being a sans serif will ensure a contemporary feel due to it’s ageless quality. Overall we feel that the identity really does it’s job in representing the core values of the Betterbet brand.

This isn’t our only experience of branding for a betting brand. In 2004 we were approached by WBX a relatively new online betting exchange. We helped build the brand and position the betting exchange within the marketplace that would really challenge the already established online bookmakers. This would be achieved through successful advertising campaigns around the major sporting events, which would offer new and existing members attractive promotions and incentives. WBX would also sponsor the famous Hurdling Triple Crown, the prize being if one very lucky trainers horse wins all three races, they walk away with a £1 Million bonus in prize money.

The outcomes of our branding programme were all positive. We successfully positioned WBX within the current betting market gaining them a worldwide audience. We helped provide members with up to date exchange prices through advertising campaigns. In addition to this we produced a look and feel for the brands image through a range of communications, which to this day engage with the target audience and current members. We also worked and produced WBX Mobile to the current members, giving them easier access to placing that winning bet.

To sum up, we’d like to say a big congratulations to the fine fellows at Union Room for getting to be part of the feature in .Net. Well done boys. It’s always nice to see your work published!

Projector are currently: Waiting for kick-off.

Today sees the launch of the London 2012 Olympic Mascots. Named Wenlock and Mandeville, these two interesting characters have been unveiled as joint mascots, rather than sticking to the norm of having one main character. 

The character’s description/guidelines have been set out in great detail on Creative Review’s blog. There has obviously been a lot of care and consideration taken into the development of the characters, going into a lot of detail on specific elements.  You do have to question the extent to which our country is represented in the character itself. Granted, there is an element of reference to London in the use of the “Taxi Hire” sign which adorns the Black Cabs of London.

It’s easy to knock something (we’ve all been on the receiving end), and we’re not here to do that, however the overall look and feel of the character I feel, is actually quite Eastern and more akin to the likes of anime, rather than something you would assume was quintessentially British. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want a lion wearing a Union Jack Cape with a Bulldog sidekick, or perhaps an large bipedal stiff upper lip, but there should be more of an inclusion of something that separates us as a nation. It doesn’t have to be cliché.

I’m looking forward to seeing how their personality will exude in static media, as they seem to lack the warmth that Javier Mariscal’s Catalan sheepdog Cobi had. The jury is still out until more examples of their use are evident. Cobi proved to be a very lucrative source of income for the olympics, a definite commercial success. I hope Wenlock and Mandeville have similar success.

What are your thoughts? Like or dislike? We’ll have to lump them whatever the choice! I’m still undecided.

Projector are currently: In the studio in somewhat tropical temperatures and humidity.

1. Demoralised employees, confused customers? – it may be time for a re-brand.

We here at Projector take pride in the fact that we are well known for combining creative skills with an underpinning of business knowledge which we’ve built up over a number of years, working within a wide range of sectors. We’d never tell you that simply a new logo design is the one magic answer that will turn around your fortunes and solve any problems you’re having. However, a good (and thorough) rebrand process will work to unearth the issues that you may be having that could be solved through a number of key changes, including a new look and feel. This can lift spirits, re-focus aims and offer a new beginning.

2. Name or Design Weakness

The company may be doing extremely well with no issues, record profits, loyal workers and happy customers. So why would they want a re-brand? It could be something as simple as the logo growing old fashioned or creating technical problems, i.e. failing to reproduce well in print. This could be the result of a logo simply being designed badly in the first place or being designed to fit in with the style of the moment. For example in the early 90′s a lot of logo’s were designed to look ‘grungy’ with distressed edges and textures. A few years down the line and these logo’s show their age, they have no ‘timeless’ qualities. This approach to branding can pay off in the short term but will require a refresh several years later. 

3. Legal Requirement

Occasionally, but very rarely there may arise legal issues that require a company to make changes to their branding. Reasons for this might be down to similarities between naming or designs resulting in the need for change or perhaps the break up of a company which leads to a loss of the right to use it’s logo mark. One of the most famous examples of this was in 1984 when the US government forced the telecoms company AT&T to break up, resulting in several smaller regional companies. The AT&T bell logo had to go after over 100 years representing the company. 

4. Publicity Stunt

There are many examples of well known companies changing their brand (or the branding of one of their products) in order to drum up publicity resulting in, sometimes positive, sometimes negative public response. Pizza Hut/Pasta Hut, Marathon/Snickers, Pollack/Collin (Sainsbury changed the name of a fish), Opal Fruit/Starburst. The saying goes that ‘all publicity is good publicity’, in the case of the examples I have mentioned and similar cases I would have to agree or at least say that I can’t see that any permanent damage would have occurred as a result. Although initial public response may have been negative in many of these cases, they have all been propelled to the forefront of media attention and are all the better known because of this. Bad publicity usually results from individual human error and not from structured, planned marketing – i.e. Gerald Ratner of Ratners jewellery stores stating their products were cheap rubbish at a press conference.

5. Merger or Acquisition

When two companies merge or if a company is acquired by another the question is usually raised as to how the merger will affect the brand values of either business. There can be a lot at stake, especially when one or both companies already have strong brand personality within the public eye. It’s essential to know the market and assess the pros and cons of making any changes if at all.

One example of where the wrong decision was made was the Royal Mail re-brand to Consignia; in 2001 the company ceased to be run by the government and became semi-independently owned. A re-brand was commissioned and the new name Consignia unveiled. It was a total flop with widespread derision (even the new chairman disliked the name!). The decision was made to revert back to the Royal Mail.

Landor recently posted an article on their 8 design principles, one of the points concentrated on “entertaining” as a significant part of design. They stated that ”The best wit always contains truth, and a sideways look can engage and delight an audience. Playful ideas linger in the mind, bring a smile to the face, and make design more memorable.”

Adopting a slightly humorous approach can differentiate you from competitors in your sector. Obviously this won’t apply to all sectors of business, as brands like Goldmann Sachs would prefer to be more reassuring and business-like to instill a feeling of confidence in their investment banking. However if suitable, humour can grab the attention of an audience, tease out a smile and make a lasting impression with memorable wit. Humour can make people stop and think about a brand, remembering it’s message.

To a case in point. “serious**” as a brand treads this line very well. Waste is something that people either get embarassed about, or laugh over. In choosing the latter and taking a light hearted approach  basing their brand around being “serious about sh**” “dealing with sh**” and that “sh** happens”. Sales proceeded to rise by 90%, giving them a strong platform to further build their brand upon. 

A recent example would be Magners cider, introducing their new campaign in light of the onset of a (hopefully) sunkissed English summer. The campaign features insights into the people who work at Magners. It shows them to be ridiculously relentless when it comes to procuring the apples and it is this commitment that makes the cider so distinctive. In amidst the humour however, is the underlying message that Magners are solely focussed on producing the best tasting cider, alluding to complete dedication to the quality of their product. It is early days but I’m certain that this new campaign will push Magners into the forefront of drinkers’ minds.

Adopting any kind of tone of voice gives you another chance at having something extra in making your brand that little bit different. It could be humour. Your brand could be the one you could imagine going for a cheeky pint with on a lunchtime. It could be the stalwart you can always rely on. Copywriting can really bring your brand down to earth giving a much more engaging experience, making you feel like you have a relationship with the brand, rather than simply using it’s service or products.

Projector are currently: Voting with the back of their hand on this website.

After the successful re-brand of their parent Lettings company we were asked by Cathedral to develop a new brand for their Estate Agency which has just launched this very month.

We worked with Cathedral for several months to clarify how best to position the new business alongside the existing company. Implementing a naming and branding analysis process we talked to clients and staff with an aim to firming up how the company should be perceived and whether or not a complete new brand, moving away from the ‘Cathedral’ label, would be beneficial. The outcome of this was to keep the ‘Cathedral’ title, which meant that the new brand was at an advantage straight off the mark, being seen to have the backing of the parent company. 

It was then a case of differentiating the new business which we did through the use of colour, variation of the logo shape, new copy and the simple introduction of the ‘Estates’ name to the logotype.

Projector are currently: Looking forward to the bank holiday weekend.

We’ve just received copies of printed communications we recently produced for Otter Recruitment. We’re particularly pleased with the detail in the letterheads which were printed by our friends at Glasgow Press using traditional letterpress methods.

These pieces were a natural progression following on from the brand creation project for Otter – a new recruitment company aimed at the recruitment of mid to high level staff. With a bespoke service offering personally tailored solutions Otter tasked us with creating a brand that reflected the high end expectations of potential clients yet retained an element of warmth and approachability.

After working with Otter to fully understand their business and using our knowledge of the recruitment industry from previous experience, we created a logo mark that subtly reflects the ‘O’ of the company title and has a dynamic, corporate feel to it that looks fresh and positive. These elements are also reflected in the modern typeface which is classy yet friendly and has good legibility. A warm black used alongside secondary gold colouring completed the prestigious feel.

After helping to clarify the brand offer and creating the new logo we rolled out a suite of comms including corporate stationery items, direct mail and a fully content managed bespoke website, working alongside Union Room in the studio here.

Projector are currently: In awe at a real life Apple Magic Mouse

We recently heard back from Mark Westerby, who we’d previously worked with on a showcase of his expansive high profile photography. The news was not good, it was great! With the brochure having been a resolute success in attracting new business, Mark wanted us to work with him on developing a newer version. The focus of the showcase would be fashion lead, showing off Mark’s stylish and dynamic compositions.

We put forward the concept of the brochure being white throughout, to further emphasise the already vivid colour tones within the imagery. The format would also change to landscape, which would allow for more scope with the shots supplied. By doing this we would differentiate the two brochures in terms of format and colour but  still maintain the Mark Westerby brand identity through the overall use of his black and white brand colour.

We hope this new brochure heralds as much positive clamour as the one previous. Our congratulations go out to Mark for being recognised as one of the top 200 Advertising Photographers in the world as credited by the International Advertising Review, Luerzer’s Archive.

Projector are currently: In the early stages of the re-designing our website.

We recently completed a brand refresh project for one of our longest running clients - Positive Solutions. The fruits of several months labour can be seen across all elements of communication, ranging from printed items to online media and various marketing materials. A new colour scheme, design style and guidelines were the result of an extensive research and development process which involved close collaboration with our friend; brand guru Mark Johnson (themanwith3heads). We talked to all facets of the company in order to pave the correct route for the brands strategic aims. We were also commissioned to do a nationwide photo shoot of PS clients to show the personal service the companies 1700 IFA’s offer. We captured a range of personalities from various backgrounds and occupations that could convey the variety and breadth of the companies reach and ‘positive’ effect. Big thanks go out to Mark Westerby for the fantastic photography! Keep your eye’s peeled for more details of this and more of our latest work on the Case Study pages of our main website which we’ll be updating soon!

Projector are currently: Enjoying the fact Calvin Harris “Ready for the Weekend” hasn’t come on the Squeezebox first thing on Monday, as it has for the previous three weeks.

Almost fun-day friday! Continuing on with the theme of the Screenprint, I decided to round up my own top 10 Desert Island designer screenprints to (if continuing the hypothetical situation) frame with bamboo and adorn the wall of my makeshift shack to make it that little bit more hospitable. To avoid favouritism, the designers/artists are bereft of a number. Well, I just couldn’t decide which was best, as they’re all winners in my book and I wrote that one.

Sara Ogilvie

Sara Ogilvie is one of my former tutors at Northumbria University and unfortunately during my time there, I didnt quite realise what an amazing talent she has for print-making. With a quite frightening C.V and list of awards Sara’s work is on display at Northern Print, where she is a resident artist.

Michael Leon

Coming from a background heavily based in skateboarding, working with brands such as New Deal and Girl Skateboards Michael Leon has a distinct and very graphic style, his success in design propelling him to working with some great brands, such as Stussy, the art magazine Arkitip and Nike. I’m going to have to save up the Benjamin Franklin’s to get the above print, it’s a beauty.

Hammerpress

Kansas based Hammerpress combine screenprinting with letterpress to produce some really aesthetically pleasing prints. Started initially in 1994, with only one printing press, the good ship Hammerpress have grown considerably into an efficiently run crack print unit with an apparent love for beer and 80s music.

Aesthetic Apparatus

Adding to the list, another talented bunch from over the pond, Aesthetic Apparatus are seasoned screenprinters, very much in the vein of the gig poster, whilst also operating it seems as a design studio.

Jay Ryan

Jay Ryan (also bassist of the band Dianogah, who are pretty pretty good) has a nice distinctive illustrative style and has graced the cover of Shellac’s “Excellent Italian Greyhound” album cover. Jay runs a printshop in Chicago. 

Rob Ryan

No blood relation of my previous entry, Rob-o-cop Ryan as a side to his painstakingly intricate cut outs does also dabbles in screenprinting from time to time. I’m sure you can see that the results are quite beautiful, showing that Rob’s style is just as effective in print as in paper cut out. Currently Rob’s work can be seen in a special solo exhibition at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

Rose Blake

Rose is a recent graduate from Kingston University in “Lahndan Tahhhn”. Obviously very talented, according to her website she’s also currently doing a masters at the RCA which only the very best get into. Quite a client list also!

Duke Press

The Duke Press are a new and upcoming independent publisher, producing some lovely printwork and collating it in purchase enticingly priced handmade zines. Pictures is “Another Way” by Ryan Todd

Small Stakes

The Small Stakes are what originally got me interested in Screenprinting as a medium. Producing simple, yet effective work for bands I love, they are one of the more design blog popular of the designers/artists I’ve selected.

Brian Chippendale

Brian Chippendale, also ridiculous drumming powerhouse in the band “Lightning Bolt” (who are a true spectacle to witness live) moonlights as an artist. Luckily I was able to catch come of Brian’s work at the Reg Vardy Gallery in Sunderland and it was a neon treat. A very unique colour palette and way of drawing.

Well there you go. Feel free to add your own top 10 screenprints, your top 5, top 3 or even just one below. We always want to know about more great design. So get some comments in!

Projector are currently: Are considerably more streamline after one employee barnet chop.

And now for the concluding part of last week’s screenprint blog epic. After much enjoyable and laborious work at the North’s finest screenprinting studio, Northern Print, over the weekends of the and the 30th of Jan & 6th Feb a final 3 colour screenprint was produced! The character conjured up can only be described as a gene splicing experiment between Jeremy Beadle, a monkey and a Mexican Lucho wrestler gone terribly, terribly wrong. Next time I think I’ll prepare a design in advance! I can’t recommmend the course enough to anyone who wants to dabble in screenprinting as this is an excellent crash course, or a great refresher to get you back into hand printing your work. Hopefully this will be start of a fruitful printing career.

Projector are currently: Having a bit of a desk reshuffle.