Branding Archives | Page 5 of 16 | Bristol Creative Industries

From dance floor to studio – the team behind Rhombus have a long history with the venue, from their first-ever club experience to running multiple high-profile events at Lakota in later years.

The rebrand took them on a dive into the club’s 90s golden era, combining their passion for music and design into a euphoric exploration of rave culture.

As a nod to Lakota’s immense heritage, part of the venue lives in the new identity, which draws inspiration from the club’s original logo, building architecture, and rebellious, 30-year history at the heart of Bristol’s underground scene.

Trip-hop & Massive Attack. Acid house & Carl Cox. Drum and bass & Goldie. There’s no doubt about it: Lakota is truly the beating heart of Bristol’s rich and longstanding music scene. Sitting proudly on Moon St. in the city’s historic St Paul’s area, the venue represents one of Bristol’s only black-owned venues.

Free-spirited and fiercely independent, Lakota has always promoted progressive programming and ethereal dance floor moments.

Now, after 30 years as the heart of the city’s underground music scene, Lakota needed a modern brand for their new chapter. One that acknowledged their past, set the tone for their future, and represented the increasingly diverse events they’re putting on: from club nights to live music, circus, drag, pop-up food and more across three spaces within the venue, the original Lakota club, Lakota Gardens and Coroners Court.

The Rhombus team are Bristol born and bred, and as regular ravers and promoters at Lakota since our younger years, the project took on a very personal approach. The deliverables were a brand identity and architecture, custom-built website, animation, brand launch and rollout, but getting there would start with hours and hours of research into the club’s history.

From poring over archive photography to studying old rave culture and multiple trips to the club exploring the architecture and original features, including the rough and ready floors and exposed walls, the team developed a modular brand system inspired by the venue’s heritage, ethos and vision. A language that could easily showcase a huge range of events, from underground club nights to immersive circus performances, and a brand that could flex into new ventures outside of the traditional club space.

Part of the venue lives in the identity. The primary logo uses shapes from the iconic original logo, constructed alongside geometric forms from the venue’s floor plan, to represent a symbol of culture, a frame for established and emerging artists and a window into the space.

The elements of the venue, the iconic sticky floors, worn walls and stonework are the background for a lot of the textures used in the new brand, while the wordmark was custom built using the same angles and shapes found in the emblem – which work in unison, but are strong enough to work independently too.

Encapsulating the energy of the DJs, artists, performers and dancers that make the venue was crucial, so the primary pattern is built using the venue’s motif. The secondary patterns are constructed from the motif and the feather, giving the brand further flexibility and nodding to the heritage.

The palette combines technology with history, taking aspects from the club lighting whilst also looking back at film photography of the venue. The colour system helps give each space its independence. Lakota club utilises the primary palette, Coroners Court is confidently black and white to compliment the nature of the space and the Gardens uses more vibrant colour combinations to showcase the culture and performances.

The new language and tone of voice centres around the idea of rebels with a cause – a nod to the rebellious past but with a purposeful new attitude underpinned by the venue’s focus on community and heritage. When it came to the type system, the rebrand puts Formula by Pangram Pangram front and centre, flexing between Condensed (loud) and extended (energetic) for contrast, combined with Apercu in the body copy for clarity and accessibility.

“With the Lakota mark and visual identity established for nearly 30 years, changing it was no easy feat. However, Rhombus understood our heritage, history and future vision.

Their past experience running their own events was an added bonus and gave them insight into the sector and its challenges. We are thrilled with our new identity. The motif and wordmark have real versatility and reflect our values; we hope they will see us through the next 30 years.”

Luckily, the “d” word isn’t something we hear a lot. But if it’s something you’re feeling after a PR push, whether it’s one you’ve done in house or worked on with a PR consultancy, it’s really important to look at why it missed the mark. If you’re disappointed in your PR results, and campaigns are leaving you underwhelmed, here’s why that might be, and how it can be avoided in future.

You shouldn’t ever be eagerly anticipating coverage in The Economist if your story was only ever destined for a local news portal. That’s not to be disparaging – both publications have their place and both are important in reaching certain audiences. The point is, you should be given an indication of where coverage is possible (and where it isn’t) before the pitch. This conversation can even start when you first start discussing the PR campaign.

No one has a crystal ball, and you could get very lucky or less so. But a good PR agency should have targets in mind when they’re crafting content, and they should be able to share and agree those with you.

Building on the point above, PR is an art, not a science. We’ve had BBC filming lined up only for the news to throw us completely off track and for a crew to abandon a shoot to cover a breaking story. Likewise, we’ve had small stories being picked up nationally because they happened to hit the spot and be just what an editor was looking for at that moment.

This is the world of PR! Ensure any PR team you’re working with keeps you abreast of what’s happening at each stage. They can’t control some of it, but they can and should give you as much information as they know at each stage.

We work with a range of clients who have never done PR before, or have had limited experience. That’s fine, and we can take most of it off their hands. But we do explain what we’re doing at each stage, what’s needed and how long things are likely to take.

If you were expecting something to land that didn’t – did you get given the full picture? Did you understand what was happening, and when? You don’t need to be a PR expert but some knowledge of the process helps to put things in context, in our experience.

We’ve talked about why we never guaranteed coverage in a dedicated piece, but in essence, no one can truly guarantee coverage in a publication, unless that’s a paid-for spot, such as an advertorial.

If you’ve been guaranteed coverage that doesn’t appear, it’s definitely worth asking more about it, and how (and why) it was guaranteed in the first place.

This mindset shift is a helpful step away from feeling disappointed in your PR results, and big a step towards getting it right next time.

If coverage appeared but didn’t hit the right audience – are you sure it was designed to target them in the first place? Some publications are great to appear in from a profile point of view. But some are more likely to hit your objectives than others. Ensure you’re always clear who’s being targeted and why that’s the right target audience for your objectives. Start with the end – what do you want those people reading the coverage to do? And then work back from that.

For us, it’s paramount that everyone understands what’s achievable, what could make the news (and where) and that no one is underwhelmed. We do put a lot of groundwork into explaining what we’re doing, we are responsive, honest and transparent and we partner with clients. That’s what gets the best results for everyone.

Bristol-based web design and branding agency, Squarebird, have modernised the online presence of GLOBIS University, a leading business school in Japan, to better appeal to international audiences.

Combining Functionality with Creativity.

With practicality, entrepreneurship, and a strong global network at the core of the GLOBIS offering, it was crucial that the new website reflected these strengths alongside the wider benefits of joining University. Following a period of extensive market and user research by the GLOBIS team, Squarebird was briefed, and the discovery phase of the project began, starting with functionality, sitemap, and user journeys before moving onto the creatives.

The new English-speaking GLOBIS website needed to align with the global brand and Japanese-speaking site, yet still have its own identity. To encapsulate this, the team designed a number of brand exploration style tiles to ensure all stakeholders were aligned on the overall look and feel before moving on to the more functional desktop and mobile page designs.

Driving Impact Through Leadership.

With designs approved, the website development began. The Squarebird team worked closely with GLOBIS stakeholders to ensure the functionality matched their requirements, feeding courses, faculty members, events and more throughout the site to provide users with a constant stream of information and networking opportunities. Bespoke landing pages were an incredibly imperative element in this project given GLOBIS’ extensive marketing campaigns, and a flexible template enables GLOBIS to be able to create bespoke pages for future campaigns, with tracking established to record performance.

An Ecosystem of People, Capital and Knowledge.

The new website provides a present, informative, and visually engaging website that embodies the GLOBIS difference and presents their offering to talented international prospective students, giving them an insight into what life could look like at the GLOBIS business school.

Built in the community, focused on the future.

Spaceworks is a platform for makers, creators and businesses of all shapes and sizes. They have been on a mission to bring community driven work spaces to Bristol since 1985 and needed a rebrand and website to match.

Accountants, artists, engineers and more, Spaceworks has been housing, helping and supporting some of Bristol’s brightest brands. They know that when it comes to office rental, businesses need affordable spaces with the right support in place to help them grow.

The new identity by Rhombus nods to the past while looking forward, inspired by the diverse community of businesses who call Spaceworks their home.

The brand balances play with trust and accessibility, uniting makers, creators and businesses across Bristol.

The visual identity was built around the new logo, evolved from their geographical footprint in Bristol. The wider identity system uses more abstract evolutions of the logo to portray the businesses of all shapes and sizes that make up Spaceworks.

The colourway is an evolution of the green they launched with in 1985, as a nod to their rock-solid history. The typeface (aptly titled Founders Grotesk from Klim Type Foundry) is a sans serif with plenty of character, inspired by some of the buildings they have transformed over the years – grade 2, big hangars, small nooks and stained-glass windows.

Rhombus developed a verbal identity underpinned by three core pillars to express the brand: Supportive, Passionate and Dynamic. The output included a set of key messages to announce the new brand to Bristol and beyond, as well as writing tips to help the Spaceworks team communicate with consistency and flair.

In order to bring Spaceworks into the digital world, Rhombus developed a motion language that encapsulated the brand’s warmth, approachability and character, inspired by collaboration. Bounce. Grow. Support!

Spaceworks are the same today as they were when they started – committed to providing affordable, supportive spaces for diverse businesses in local communities: Easton, Barton Hill, St Phillips, Stokes Croft, St Jude’s and Bishopston.

Their new custom website is testament to this commitment, delivered in partnership with Papaya Studio – making it easier than ever to access workspaces and business support.

“Rhombus Studio created our new branding and website and we are delighted with the results. It was a thorough and carefully planned process and aside from creating some amazing visual assets, they took the time to understand our business and aspirations and created something that represents us very well.” – Spaceworks

Launched in 2018, Studio Floc is the brainchild of our founder Florence Cassell. Armed with a loyal iMac and a vision to design for good, she started the journey that we’re now on as a growing (and currently fully female) team – supporting great people doing great things in the world through effective and beautiful design.

We’ve taken the time out of our regular routine to learn from her experience and be encouraged by a real life, real time example of a female business owner.

Hello everyone – Florence here! Great question – two key things come to mind. Firstly, my experience of starting out as a designer was a tough one. Most of the agencies I worked in created harsh and very isolating environments. I’m grateful because I did learn a lot in those early days but I believed it was possible to have an encouraging and honouring studio culture whilst still achieving excellence. This inspired me to start Studio Floc. My aim is to create a place where my team and I work hard and efficiently whilst also encouraging and supporting one another.

And then secondly, I’m passionate about playing my part in making the world a better place and love to use design as a tool to do that. Last year we had the privilege of rebranding Love Your Neighbour, an incredible charity who are committed to helping people overcome pressing social challenges by tackling the root causes of poverty through crisis support, debt advice, employment training and community care. We’ve been able to give them a visual language to communicate their message effectively in order to impact more lives. So good. I appreciate that we’re only one agency empowering a select handful of clients but imagine the world we’d live in if everyone played their part.

When I was about to start Studio Floc back in 2018, only 16% of founders in the UK were female. I was surrounded by and learned from men. Don’t get me wrong, I learned a lot from those guys and many of which I still turn to for advice and are supportive in all I do. The presence of men has never been the issue, it has been the lack of women to encourage, trail-blaze and to be inspired by that has made the journey more difficult.

I continue to lead the business that I feel called to run even though historically (and sometimes discouragingly) the odds aren’t stacked in my favour. Oh and the other thing is that Imposter Syndrome is a bitch. It has taken me a while but I’m still improving my ability to differentiate the helpful, guiding voice in my head from the unhelpful, self-doubting one. If you’ve got the tools there in front of you but need that extra push of confidence, just be bold and go for it.

I would highly recommend checking out Craig Groeschel’s book ‘Winning the war in your mind’ if this is something you struggle with.

Three key things – firstly, surround yourself with a support network of friends/mentors who will encourage you on the journey. Secondly, never stop learning. And thirdly, in my experience, more often than not, people respond to expertise delivered with confidence, not gender.

‬Driven by purpose‭, ‬we use creativity to enable the makers‭, ‬equip the innovators and empower the world-changers‭. ‬We specialise in branding‭, ‬print and digital design‭.‬

Have questions for our founder? Looking for help with branding, print or digital design work? Let’s chat! Get in touch at [email protected]

Nowadays, customers have a multitude of options for products and services. Therefore, if your marketing strategy fails to deliver, potential customers are likely to seek out alternatives. Although it’s disheartening, it’s the reality we face. But fear not! There’s one element that can establish a connection with customers, differentiate you from the competition, and foster loyalty. A brand story.

However, creating a brand story that effectively conveys your company’s values, mission, and purpose requires more than just recounting the history of your business. It demands careful consideration of your narrative as a whole. While it may seem daunting, we’re here to guide you through the challenges you may face while crafting your brand story and how to overcome them to build customer loyalty.

Challenge 1: Finding the Right Narrative

Your first and greatest challenge is finding the initial narrative for your brand story that resonates with customers. This is no easy task, and it’s not as simple as just creating a marketing message or sales pitch. Your brand story needs to strike a balance between being compelling and authentic, and it must speak to your target audience’s specific needs and wants.

Solution: Research and Listen to Customers

To find the correct narrative for a brand story, it’s essential to research and listen to customers. For example, conducting surveys or focus groups to gather feedback and insights on what customers value about your brand, what they’re looking for in your product or service, and how they perceive the brand’s identity and mission.

By getting down to the nitty-gritty and gathering detailed information from your audience, you can create a powerful and emotionally resonant brand narrative that fosters customer loyalty.

Challenge 2: Differentiating from Competitors

One of the biggest hurdles in creating a brand story is making it stand out from the sea of competitors out there. It’s important to find a unique angle that distinguishes you from similar products or services.

Solution: Focus on a Unique Value Proposition

To stand out from competitors, you need to establish a unique value proposition. This is a statement that clearly communicates your products or services’ benefits and what sets you apart from competitors.

Is there something about your product or service that sets it apart in the market? Does your business have a particular company culture or value that will resonate with your customers? These are just some of the factors to keep in mind as you work to identify and highlight your business’s unique qualities.

Challenge 3: Maintaining Authenticity

Authenticity is a critical component of a successful brand story, and so is maintaining it. Customers are increasingly savvy and can easily spot a contrived or inauthentic brand story, which could damage your brand’s credibility and erode trust with customers. While it’s easy to become enthusiastic about your business and brand, you shouldn’t exaggerate or over-promise your brand story to stand out from competitors.

Solution: Stay True to Company Values

A way to avoid this is to start with a clear understanding of your business’s values, mission and purpose. Your brand story should be a natural extension of these.

In addition, using real, relatable examples in your brand story will help maintain authenticity. By telling real stories of how your business has helped customers or made a positive impact, you’ll build trust with your customers and demonstrate authenticity, ultimately building customer loyalty.

In conclusion…

Overall, successfully overcoming these challenges is crucial to creating a brand story that emotionally connects with customers. To read the full version, head over to our blog here.

If you’re still needing a hand, our team of experts is here to help. Get in touch to learn more about our customer-focused solutions and how we can help you achieve your business goals!

Video and animation will always be at the heart of Proctors Motion Department. And that’s why we’ve been hard at work continually refining our general expertise. But, over the past year we’ve also expanded our offering, to deliver interactive 3D experiences too.

Panasonic – Solutions Drawings

Power at your fingertips with interactive 3D models

Panasonic challenged us to visualise how their extensive portfolio of hardware and software could be combined to create highly-specialised, complete, and integrated solutions.

So we proposed an interactive piece (making use of Babylon.js) that allowed users to explore sectors and areas for themselves – rather than a typical static image that acts as a clickable menu.

This all sat in an angular app, offering up relevant information in the form of whitepapers, product links, tech specs, video and imagery.

We developed a solid workflow that allowed us to: quickly design scenes for sign off; optimise geometry by hand and using AI tools (so the 3D rooms downloaded quickly without putting pressure on end users’ devices); create libraries of Babyblon.js code that could efficiently be repurposed for building out interactivity and the look; deliver a front end where content could be loaded in a simple JSON file, rather than buried away in complex code.

Delivered

Results

With an average dwell time of 5 minutes for education and nearly 3.30 for manufacturing, our interactive models have proven to be a great way of grabbing (and keeping!) potential customers’ attention.

TOUGHBOOK 40 launch collateral

Overview

Panasonic and Proctors go back a very long way, so when the time came to launch their latest flagship device, the Panasonic TOUGHBOOK 40, they knew who to call.

We crafted a concept based around a fast-paced edit of the conditions a truly rugged laptop needs to stand up to. The final film was a mix of 3D, shot footage and visual effects (VFX), recreating the demanding environments where TOUGHBOOK is most at home.

The project could easily have become a very costly multi-location shoot. But we made use of minimal locations, lots of 3D expertise and some heavy post-production work to deliver even more, for a fraction of the time, cost… and carbon.

We demonstrated the TOUGHBOOK 40’s unique features – what sets it apart from the competition – wrapped up in a tight action-packed film.

Delivered

Result

Having worked on the numerous Panasonic product launches, Proctors has become the go-to-agency for new TOUGHBOOK launch films and collateral.

P+S Unlocked

Overview

2022 saw the launch of the first series in ‘P+S Unlocked’ – a new major initiative, designed to help audiences to tap into their full marketing potential with our latest insights, strategies and thought leadership content.

Series 1 took on Corporate Social Responsibility, specifically, how to communicate your progress and demonstrate your accountability.

We riffed on a Terry Gilliam style of animation, using a stop-motion collage approach to demystify explainers, illustrate some easy to implement CSR tips and generally add some humour and fun.

The P+S Motion Department went on a whistle-stop tour of Bristol to see our friends at Calibro and Burges Salmon to find out what CSR meant to them and document their progress in becoming the best citizens they can be.

Delivered

Result

Thrio: A stunning rebrand, with the moves to match

Overview

Meet Thrio. From voice to chat to email, bots and beyond, Thrio’s cloud-based, AI-powered tech helps take the customer experience to a whole new level.

This film was the brand’s first foray into the world of motion design, and we wanted to showcase it simply but powerfully – conveying how Thrio’s offering enables seamless interaction using a calm and collected visual style, communicating clarity in a noisy market.

We developed a graceful motion language to complement their new brand. We conveyed a sense of measured confidence, showing how Thrio’s all-under-one-roof solution simplifies the complex by avoiding the use of multiple vendors. This was elevated with delicate sound design, adding timbre to Thrio’s message in a confident but considered voice.

But this wasn’t their only step into the world of motion. Using the style of the brand film as a guide, we’ve since worked on multiple video projects with Thrio, including a video toolkit – a cost-effective tool that allows the client to produce their own slick branded and social media videos.‍

Delivered

Result

Trelleborg: Capital Markets Day

Overview

Trelleborg is an engineering company specialising in polymer solutions that seal, damp and protect. From smart anti-slip mattress covers to trenchless pipe lining, it was our job to create several animations, displaying how various Trelleborg engineering solutions work – all in time for their annual Capital Markets Day.

Trelleborg’s products are often hidden within industrial equipment and machinery, so we needed to deconstruct them to showcase each in action.

Because these animations were to be presented at an event, it was vital to ensure the design and animation was effective and easy to follow. It was a great opportunity to explain and illustrate highly technical processes without overcomplicating them, with clear supporting copy.

Delivered

Result

The project began with two animations to cover a couple of products, Trelleborg were so happy with the results that the final project was extended to five.

Our team of videographers, animators, motion designers and scriptwriters have been making award-winning, show-stopping video for decades.

We believe each of our clients has something really important to say – from tech behemoths and multi-national market leaders, right down to local, grassroots charities. Whatever story you want to tell, we’ll help you share it with the world. Talk to Proctors today.

We all know that the shorter working week has had proven success in other countries. 86% of Iceland’s workforce, for example, have either moved to a shorter working week or have the right to request shorter hours. So as Bristol tentatively dips its toe into the sea of change with a pilot scheme rolling out across businesses in the city, here we are five years into our four-day working week with some (hopefully) helpful reflections.

Life is short and we want it to be excellent. Every bit of it. We’ve found that since allowing more space for our brains to process, stray, absorb and even rest (what a thought, we know) this has enabled better ideas to flow, calmer attitudes to influence the team and ultimately a higher level of productivity during the time spent at our desks. Don’t get us wrong, we believe in working hard to deliver excellent, refined work – the only difference is that we think it can be achieved successfully within four days. No extra hours, just four normal days.

From a client’s perspective, you wouldn’t know any different. At the start of every project we create a timeline that our clients are happy with and that’s the timeline that we work to. Emails are answered from Monday to Thursday and we’re here to chat over the phone on any of those days too!

Every team member works the same four days which allows for collaboration and efficiency. What each team member does on Fridays is completely up to them. And then after a year of working for Studio Floc, all staff get paid the equivalent of a five-day working week for just four days. It’s our way of saying thank you for the hard work that everyone puts in.

Excellence can be achieved in so many ways. For us, a four-day working week helps us accomplish this – and we don’t just mean in the workplace – but in every aspect of our lives. we would consider that a win-win.

‬Driven by purpose‭, ‬we use creativity to enable the makers‭, ‬equip the innovators and empower the world-changers‭. ‬We specialise in branding‭, ‬print and digital design‭.‬

Have questions about our four-day working week? Looking for help with branding, print or digital design work? Let’s chat! Get in touch at [email protected]

JonesMillbank, Bristol-based video production company, has successfully won a contract with foodora, who are part of Delivery Hero, the world’s leading local delivery platform.

The project is focused on the foodora brand, promoting their culture, history and future through the stories of over a dozen long standing employees.

Filming is taking place across eight European countries including Finland, Norway, Slovakia and Austria.

“International travel was off the cards for so long and it’s fantastic to be given the opportunity to get back in the air again with a new client, exposing our productions and our team to other cultures” said Adam Millbank, Director at JonesMillbank.

“The project is benefiting from us doing what we do best; telling the individual stories of people from different walks of life, heritages and backgrounds with authenticity.”

Russell Jones, Director at JonesMillbank added: “We’re conscious of the environmental impact of all our productions, let alone ones that require multiple flights and cross-border trains. The nature of this project needed a travelling crew and we’ll be offsetting our impact via our friends at Ecologi.”

Delivery Hero operates its service in over 70 countries across Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.

The company started as a food delivery service in 2011 and today runs its own delivery platform on four continents. Additionally, Delivery Hero is pioneering quick commerce, the next generation of e-commerce, aiming to bring groceries and household goods to customers in under one hour and often in 20 to 30 minutes.

Headquartered in Berlin, Germany, Delivery Hero has been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since 2017 and is now part of the MDAX stock market index.

They work in-house with a talented team of multi-disciplined creatives, telling authentic stories for a range of clients such as University of Bristol, IDLES, NHS England, The Royal Mint and Battersea.

Our identity and brand: how we’ve chosen to show up and what it says about us.

We were well aware that when a new company sets up, there’s immediate reaction to the name and in particular the logo. Whether conscious or sub-conscious, it can leave a lasting impression.

A raw, modern identity, website and motion language for one of the city’s oldest and most iconic venues – who have a big vision for the future of the space.

Combining Functionality with Creativity.

Driving Impact Through Leadership.

An Ecosystem of People, Capital and Knowledge.

Built in the community, focused on the future.

Challenge 1: Finding the Right Narrative

Solution: Research and Listen to Customers

Challenge 2: Differentiating from Competitors

Solution: Focus on a Unique Value Proposition

Challenge 3: Maintaining Authenticity

Solution: Stay True to Company Values

In conclusion…

Panasonic – Solutions Drawings

Power at your fingertips with interactive 3D models

Delivered

Results

TOUGHBOOK 40 launch collateral

Overview

Delivered

Result

P+S Unlocked

Overview

Delivered

Result

Thrio: A stunning rebrand, with the moves to match

Overview

Delivered

Result

Trelleborg: Capital Markets Day

Overview

Delivered

Result