Context

Gate One is a specialist management consultancy, solely focused on the acceleration of successful digital and business change through smart, well-defined and executed portfolio, programme and project delivery.

Ambition

Gate One provide small, highly experienced and innovative teams embedded seamlessly alongside their clients’ teams, who get to the crux of problems quickly, shaping intelligent solutions and delivering lasting transformation results which can be felt across the organisation.

Aeron were tasked with supporting Gate One with their next chapter of their growth with the development of a clear brand positioning, a defendable proposition and a refreshed compelling verbal and visual identity system.

Action

We helped define Gates One’s purpose as co-piloting the reinvention of some of the world’s most interesting and influential organisations: whilst positioning the business as a collective of ex-big firm consultants, unified by a simple ideal – more meaningful business transformation, delivered as consulting should be.

The ‘Ripple’ icon graphically brings to life the force multiplying ripple effect which Gate One believe is at the heart of every successful business transformation. It speaks to the journey, in partnership with Gate One’s clients, to deliver change that counts. It encapsulates Gate One’s DNA, which is a blend; a combination of founders’ mentality, tempered with humility and a brilliant team spirit – which means Gate One genuinely relish taking complex situations apart, and designing something better. The colours reflect the care, passion, loyalty, humanity, empathy, warmth, approachability and dynamism Gate One hold true to their core.

Result

The new brand was launched in October 2017, commencing with an internal engagement programme supported by the provision of assets and tools to effect a seamless transition to the new brand from templates, brochures, stationery and digital asset design direction. The brand has now been implemented with an integrated external communications and marketing programme in conjunction with a next generation mobile and desktop website and digital assets.

About Aeron

We are Aeron, a London brand packaging design agency that specialises in business transformation, brand strategy and design. Our purpose is set on helping ambitious businesses thrive in today’s market place.

Based on fundamental insights, our London brand design consultancy is expert in helping organisations define their brand purpose; a clear, relevant, ownable and defendable territory – which delivers genuine value to customers.

With a reputation for linking brand strategy and innovative design with clear financial outcomes, our London branding agency combines intelligent data, imaginative insight with inspiring creativity and transformative digital technology to deliver enduring growth.

Context

A leading national firm of estate agents with 46 offices across the UK, Jackson-Stops has been growing its reach, advising and supporting on property trading since 1910.

Ambition

Originally added alongside the founder’s name to build a family spirit within the company, it had become clear that the “& Staff” was not being understood by customers. Customer survey feedback showed that many clients were already just using ‘Jackson-Stops’ and it was time to make the change formally.

With this came the potential to refresh the brand as a whole and faced with a rapidly growing digital real estate market and the fresh challenges that brings it was important to have a clean, contemporary brand that could stand out in the digital market place, as well as on the high street.

Action

We conducted a thorough audit of digital and brick-and-mortar estate agents, analysing the market and design trends of competing agencies. This let us understand how online trends and property portals are affecting the traditional agency model. We analysed the brand across hundreds of customer touchpoints – from sales boards and stationery to office fronts and advertising.

Result

The iconic Jackson-Stops symbol of a wolf holding an axe in his mouth is not just tied to a company, but originates from the Jackson-Stops family crest. Therefore, it was imperative to treat the mark with utmost respect and care. We carefully crated a mark that not only retains but celebrates this heritage, shaping a new symbol that is as comfortable on a family seal as it is as a digital icon.

Alongside a sophisticated colour palette, softening the previous identity’s black to a rich navy blue, we worked closely with Jackson-Stops to develop the identity across the wide range of applications across the customer journey. After conducting detailed print and paint colour testing, we developed a thorough set of corporate and implementation guidelines across stationery, advertising and environments.

The new identity was launched in September 2017 and we continue to support and advise Jackson-Stops, including in the development of a bold new website.

The news from straight from the Wolf’s mouth

About Aeron

We are Aeron, a London brand design consultancy that specialises in business transformation, brand strategy and design. Our purpose is set on helping ambitious businesses thrive in today’s market place.

Based on fundamental insights, our London brand design consultancy is expert in helping organisations define their brand purpose; a clear, relevant, ownable and defendable territory – which delivers genuine value to customers.

With a reputation for linking brand strategy and innovative design with clear financial outcomes, our London branding agency combines intelligent data, imaginative insight with inspiring creativity and transformative digital technology to deliver enduring growth.

BEN ROBINSON

The launch of any new brand identity always carries a mixture of excitement and trepidation for both those announcing it, and those who will use and wear it day-to-day – in some cases literally.

Reinvigorating established brands will always be met with resistance. New identities for AirBnB and DropBox were both met with criticism, which is always heard louder than praise on the internet. Launch hiccups were handled well, stakeholders brought on board and the designs are now firmly established.

However, football clubs are brands of a different ilk. They engender fierce loyalty, and fans almost always prefer to look backwards than forwards when it comes to asserting their identity.

Branding football clubs, therefore, is a task increasingly fraught with danger – especially in the age of social media. Pre-internet grumbles from the terraces might have made it as far as a fanzine but otherwise fans just had to take what they were given when their treasured team unleashed a fashionable – if rarely stylish – new badge on the latest match-shirt.

Now, every slightest tweak is subject to the mightiest scrutiny. Arsenal’s 2002 simplified crest looked neat, but switched the direction the Gooners gun was pointing – sacrilege! In 2014 Hull dropped the name of the club from their badge to fan’s ire. Two years later, Aston Villa “spent £80,000 to remove the word ‘prepared’ from their crest” – ‘that could have been a new player!’. They should have asked the fans first. The fans care most about the club. The fans know best.

Which brings us to Leeds United. Keen to avoid such pitfalls, the new design to celebrate the club’s centenary was launched after six months of research and consultation with 10,000 stakeholders. Great fanfare and excitement was met with immediate and apparently universal distain from social media – especially the fans.

📸 | Our new crest #MOT #LUFC

6 months of research
10,000 people consulted
Ready for the next 100 years

Watch video ➡️ https://t.co/rIIdL2Yz9F pic.twitter.com/pMrd3zTjCl

— Leeds United (@LUFC) January 24, 2018

For brands with such powerful stakeholder groups, the ability to meet everyone’s needs is like disentangling a Gordian knot. Careful engagement is crucial and goes beyond market research and consultation. It requires careful management after the launch as well.

However, sometimes it is necessary to show leadership and just cut the chord so you can move on. Juventus, took a radical approach to rebrand. Their success on and off the pitch meant they could reveal a far more revolutionary symbol as demonstration for their intention to build a brand – and legacy – that is more than just selling a few extra scarves and shirts. The new design therefore, although challenged by fans, seems to be living up to its iconic ambitions.

Now it seems Hull City have learned from their mistakes and our keeping the fanbase in the loop on the new design.

Leeds are stuck in the bind though. After all, if you are designing a logo for the fans, by the fans – you better make sure the fans actually like it!

Life is a matter of Black and White. #2beJUVENTUS pic.twitter.com/qQgiPf0nKV

— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) January 16, 2017

MATTHEW MILLARD-BEER

Leading national estate agent, Jackson-Stops, have been making good progress rolling out the new identity designed by Aeron and launched officially last month.

As well as refreshing the previous identity, the rebrand process also appears to have unveiled even older brand identities, such as this example from the Jackson-Stops Hale office, featuring an advert from 1961.

How our marketing has changed! Read about a rare #estaeagent find in a #Hale #Cheshire #property #JacksonStops https://t.co/cN9dYQC71g pic.twitter.com/ayNG9fBEHc

— JS Hale (@JS_Haleoffice) October 31, 2017

The whole style and layout of the poster makes for a wonderful period piece, and is a far cry from the glossy image-led posters, or even interactive digital banners we are more familiar with today.

The old Jackson-Stops family crest is just visible at the top of the poster, and survived barely touched throughout the next 56 years. Now though, with the ‘& Staff’ being retired from the name, the iconic ‘dog and chopper’ symbol has been brought up to date in a style that nods to the brand’s heritage but with a bold, contemporary execution.

Earlier in the project, we saw a similar example of a historical evolution from a different brand – when one of the original Waitrose signs was uncovered at Jackson-Stops Pimlico. A stunning example of early 20th Century sign-writing and a far cry from the simple, clean lines of the brand’s current sans serif identity. JS Pimlico is now proudly sporting its new, Aeron-designed livery – while the Waitrose sign has since been acquired by the John Lewis Heritage Centre.

With over 100 years of property expertise, it’s fascinating to see 100 years of marketing changes as well.

Context

Iridium was founded in 2015 as the Middle East’s first pure investor relations consultancy and technology firm. In a short time, Iridium established itself as the region’s leading investor relations advisor.

Iridium’s business model is underpinned by the growing interest of international investors in MENA equities, greater regulation of investor relations by GCC governments and continuous advances in global best practices.

Ambition

Working across strategy, finance, investor relations and communications, Iridium brings rigour, coherence and consistency to the heart of senior management, and enables them to project confidence and clarity to the global investment community.

Our task was to create a compelling corporate visual identity system, which would encapsulate Iridium’s ambition, proposition and guiding principles.

Action

We worked closely with Iridium to get a thorough understanding of its position in the market, its appeal to clients and the key differentiators the brand should stand for.

We created a distinctive wordmark and symbol for Iridium that reflects the belief that high quality investor relations are the hallmark of successful capital markets.

The wordmark and symbol are strongly interlinked, to represent the synergy Iridium builds with its clients, and are formed by the dots from each letter ‘i’ escaping the confines of the type to create an ellipsis symbol that hints at Iridium’s ability to identify and close gaps, and unlock new opportunities. The three dots also encapsulate Iridium’s three key principles: insights.influence.impact.

The symbol then opened up a comprehensive visual identity system that enabled distinctive and dynamic brand communication. This system was rooted in a grid matrix, built from the dots of the ellipsis, and highlighting the attention to detail and fine technical analysis that Iridium prides itself on.

Overall, the visual identity system includes a broad range of brand assets from new typography, a full logo suite, corporate stationery, infographics, icons and photography to marketing communications – including investment reports and digital newsletters. In addition we provided design direction for digital applications such as a new website, presentations and signage, wayfinding and brand environments.

Response

The new identity was unveiled to the capital markets investment community on Tuesday September 19, 2017 in Dubai at the Middle East Investor Relations Association (MEIRA) annual conference. Iridium’s bold new identity took a prominent position at the conference, thanks to Iridium’s sponsorship of the event.

We have continued to support Iridium in the development of the identity since the initial launch, exploring additional elements and refining the design system to ensure its flexible use across different applications.

More information about Iridium is available from their website: iridium.ae

About Aeron

We are Aeron, a London brand design consultancy that specialises in business transformation, brand strategy and design. Our purpose is set on helping ambitious businesses thrive in today’s market place.

Based on fundamental insights, our London brand design consultancy is expert in helping organisations define their brand purpose; a clear, relevant, ownable and defendable territory – which delivers genuine value to customers.

With a reputation for linking brand strategy and innovative design with clear financial outcomes, our London branding agency combines intelligent data, imaginative insight with inspiring creativity and transformative digital technology to deliver enduring growth.

Context

Formed by a Royal Decree in 1978 as the National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia, Bahri, has grown from a small shipping firm operating multipurpose vessels to become one of the biggest shipping conglomerates in the world.

Bahri continues to strive for continuous improvement and expansion of its services in the global logistics industry.

Ambition

As the company expanded and added new services to its offer, it became necessary to review the brand architecture, to ensure there was a system in place to accommodate all Bahri international and regional businesses, new brands, acquisitions and endorsements of existing and potentially new products and services.

Action

We were tasked with creating a compelling, enhanced Bahri Visual Identity System to fit their business and brand strategies and give fresh life to the identity developed previously for the company’s renaming from the National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia.

Result

We developed a new bi-lingual word mark, an enhanced graphic device and a brand architecture system that could be used in a variety of applications across all Bahri services.

A comprehensive bi-lingual logo suite was provided along with detailed usage guidelines for the roll-out of the brand.

After the successful roll-out of the refreshed identity, we have continued to support Bahri through international trademark advice and registration and with strategic consulting on the branding and identity of joint ventures and partnered endeavours.