News:
The Brand Union Paris takes home a Silver Pentaward for Desperados Black Bottle
For the third consecutive year, The Brand Union Paris’ creations were crowned with a prestigious Silver award at the Pentawards ceremony in New York. This year, our ‘Black Bottle’ design for Desperados was deemed worthy of a Silver by an international jury composed of 12 packaging design professionals, chaired by Gérard Caron.
For the 2011 awards, we entered our ‘Desperados Night Bottle’ project, the first live contest for the creation of 3 Desperados original night bottles to be distributed on selected on-trade and night bars. The winning bottle “Black Bottle” is now distributed on-trade.
The ‘Black Bottle’ is an aluminium bottle with a closable cap, with an edgy glam-rock look. The result is premium and modern at the same time. The black colour symbolizes the night; the gold adds a precious touch whilst the ‘explosion’ around the central medal communicates the vibrant side of Desperados personality.
The Pentawards prize ceremony was held in New York on the 29th of September 2011, at the Marriott Marquis on Times Square. The designs awarded will be presented in Paris in January 2012 at the DesignPack Gallery (www.designpackgallery.fr), the creative space devoted to packaging design, opened under the initiative of Fabrice Peltier. All awarded entries from the 2011 and 2012 awards will be made available in a 400+ page book published by Taschen and available from October 2012.
For more information on the Pentawards, visit the site www.pentawards.org
News:
The Brand Union relaunches Veet
The Brand Union has unveiled new global branding guidelines for female hair removal brand Veet. As part of a large campaign launched by brand owner Reckitt Benckiser, the new visual identity has been designed to refresh the brand, and shift perceptions of hair removal from necessary chore to sensual ritual.
Following a pitch, The Brand Union was appointed to implement branding guidelines on packaging and visual identity to position the brand as smooth, confident and playful. The new guidelines will cover the brand’s portfolio of hair removal products-a total of 57 formats covering both creams & waxes, which are segmented into body parts and skin types. Veet, the market leader in depilatories globally, will now be unified across all formats, with clear colour-coded navigation between products.
With its suggestions of silky smoothness, sensuality and sophistication, the Veet ‘pearl’ is a striking feature of the improved design, and the new packaging will be colour coded in natural pink, green and blue to denote skin type, featuring iconography to guide customers on parts of the body products are intended for. Photographic imagery of ingredients such Aloe Vera, Bee Wax and Almond Oils sit in a swoosh device that also holds product content information. A system to carry promotional flashes on packs to ensure they work with the new look and feel has also been designed.
Dave Brown, Chairman at The Brand Union comments: The challenge here was to increase the emotional appeal of the brand. We knew that the target market of women in their twenties saw hair removal as a functional chore, and we’ve tried to make it a sensual ritual through appealing feminine, sophisticated packaging, a refreshed link to glamour and beauty and a unified product range that is easy to navigate. The brand should appeal to confident, modern young women who look for brands that enhance the everyday beauty ritual, rather than adding to their list of things to do.
Reckitt Benckiser comments: This is the most comprehensive marketing push we’ve ever launched for Veet. The Brand Union was initially tasked to address the brand’s colour palette, unify packaging across the brand and create a consistent system for promotions-and the new brand guidelines achieve all of these objectives. The Brand Union envisioned and then created a fresh new look that sits perfectly with the brand’s positioning moving forward.
Press:
Brand USA set to be revealed at World Travel Market
Author: Tom Banks
Published by: Design Week
JWT has created what claims to be the United States’ first-ever global consumer brand, the Brand USA project, for US government organisation The Corporation for Travel Promotion.
The identity is set to be unveiled in London on 7 November.
Working with WPP sister consultancy The Brand Union and PR agency Hill & Knowlton, JWT’s New York office has named the brand, developed an identity and a brand manifesto.
The CTP did not start searching for its consultancies until July and the consortium of agencies were not appointed until late August.
WPP says its consultancies beat ‘two undisclosed global agencies in a pitch’.
The CTP, which is understood to have a $200 million (£125 million) budget, was set up in 2010 as a partnership between the travel industry and federal government to market the USA to international visitors and in turn create jobs in the industry and economic growth.
Launching at the World Travel Market in London on 7 November a discussion of the ‘rigorous strategic positioning and brand identity process’ is promised by CTP.
News:
New CEO for The Brand Union, North America
Simon Bolton, worldwide CEO of global brand strategy and design agency The Brand Union today announced the relaunch of the network’s North American operations by assuming responsibility for the management of sibling agency Brouillard Communications. Robert Scalea is named chief executive officer of the new entity, The Brand Union North America.
Simon Bolton, worldwide CEO of global brand strategy and design agency The Brand Union today announced the relaunch of the network’s North American operations by assuming responsibility for the management of sibling agency Brouillard Communications. Robert Scalea is named chief executive officer of the new entity, The Brand Union North America.
At the same time, Ogilvy New York’s BIG joins The Brand Union under the helm of renowned creative Richard Bates, adding significant creative power to the agency’s existing strengths.
This latest news follows a positive start to the year for The Brand Union. In January, Bolton announced that UK MD Simon Bailey would step into the UK CEO role, and just last month it was announced that the network had been appointed to work on the result of Bank of America’s merge with Merrill Lynch buyout. Consolidating The Brand Union’s US operations is expected to further the global support offered to Bank of America on the back of Brouillard’s existing relationship with Merrill Lynch. The Brand Union, North America will also work alongside the network’s South American base in Miami – a regional office servicing the needs of the agency’s Latin American clients, including SABMiller. Scalea joins The Brand Union with extensive experience counseling clients in complex, often volatile, industries including health care, financial services, and technology. Until now, Scalea was president and chief executive for Brouillard, which has been a free-standing WPP unit specialising in full-service business-to-business communications.
Clients of The Brand Union North America will include Bank of America, SABMiller, Avid Technology and Humana Healthcare.
“This new organisational structure and team create a very strategic footprint for The Brand Union across client businesses and capabilities,” said Simon Bolton. The full spectrum of offerings at the newly rethought The Brand Union includes brand development and architecture, strategy, research, marketing communications, and design.
Says Bolton, “Brouillard’s great client roster and tried-and-true B2B acumen round out The Brand Union’s existing business offering brilliantly.”
BIG – which stands for Brand Integration Group – is part of Ogilvy New York and The Brand Union’s North American partnership with them extends on the excellent relationship the company has with Ogilvy Asia. BIG works with Coca-Cola, Mattel and Hershey.
Bolton continues, “The combined might of talent and skill presented by these partnerships with BIG and Brouillard will build The Brand Union into a stronger and more powerful operation with a full service offer, designed to meet the needs of our clients in these very challenging times”.
Press:
Nothing sells SIA like the Girl
Published by: Karamjit Kaur, The Straits Times
Featuring: Graham Hitchmough, Managing Director The Brand Union Singapore
THE Singapore Girl wants to remind the world all over again that she is a great way to fly.
After taking a back seat in its marketing strategy over the last five years, she is gliding back to the front of Singapore Airlines’ new multimillion-dollar advertising campaign.
The blitz hits television screens here next Thursday, before travelling overseas, and, the airline hopes, without stoking another round of controversy.
In the one-minute clip which The Straits Times previewed, the Singapore Girl is seen flitting gracefully through the streets of iconic cities. Clad in her alluring sarong kebaya, she greets people she meets along the way, dishing out a beatific smile here and dispensing a breezy wave there.
If all this sounds like a throwback to the 1980s, it is.
The ad will revive the old theme song, Singapore Girl, You’re A Great Way To Fly, first made famous three decades ago. The lyrics, which went down well at first, were later seen as laden with sexual innuendo.
A short clip on the making of the ad, which was shot in San Francisco and Paris, and the scenic town of Wu Zhen in China and Jaisalmer in India’s northern state of Rajasthan, is now on YouTube.
A member of the team behind the campaign, Mr Tan Chik Quee, maintained that the airline never did ‘let go’ of the iconic SIA Girl.
Since her debut in 1972, she has been in every ad, every poster.
But then, the Girl lost to the gadgetry.
In its last few campaigns, SIA cast hardware as the hero. Its ads lavished loving looks on the spacious confines of new aircraft like the Boeing 777-300ER and Airbus 380 superjumbo, and new fancy services in premium class, while the Girl hovered in the background.
Mr Tan, the airline’s senior vice-president for commercial technology, said that SIA will still promote hardware features but this latest campaign is to reinforce service quality.
‘It is that warm feeling we hope people have when they fly with us. Once in a while, we have to come out and reinforce this,’ he said.
The airline knows that the Singapore Girl is its secret weapon that will hopefully leave its rivals trailing in the dust.
‘This is especially important in the current competitive aviation arena where you need every advantage,’ said Mr Tan.
‘It is easy to replicate hardware but what is very hard to copy is a consistently high level of service which we aim to provide each customer with.’
SIA, which has a pool of about 7,000 cabin crew, runs one of the most rigorous cabin crew recruitment and training programmes in the industry which attracts thousands of applicants every year.
Those selected undergo a 31/2 month course where they are drilled on how to walk, sit, eat, style their hair, do their make-up, greet customers, serve food, pour wine, among a long list of skills they must acquire.
But the Singapore Girl has changed over the years. More than half are Singaporeans and the rest hail from elsewhere.
The Singapore Girl is also brainier today. Four in 10 are university graduates.
What has not changed: she remains a lighting rod for controversy.
In April 2007 when SIA switched ad agencies, replacing its 35-year creative partner Batey Ads with United States-based TWBA, it sparked much discussion on the relevance of the Singapore Girl.
Wasn’t the concept sexist? Should the Girl get the axe? These were among the questions that everyone, it seemed, from parents to pupils, had an opinion on.
These days, the debate is over whether the Girl can be tetchy when stretched and whether she is still head and shoulders above the other glamourous female attendants from other airlines.
Mr Tan accepts that the new ad campaign could spark more controversy.
‘It would be quite naive of us not to expect that some might not like it. I suppose it is a question of opinion and as long as we reach the markets that we desire, the fact that some might not like it is just something we will have to live with – that’s life.’
Branding expert Graham Hitchmough, managing director of The Brand Union Singapore, said the ad has to be tasteful.
‘I will have to reserve my judgment until I see the actual execution but the key is to ensure that the correct message is conveyed and that the SIA Girl is not objectified,’ he said.
If done well and balanced with other key branding themes that focus on hardware, the new campaign could work, he added.
But the Girl should stay, he said.
‘The Singapore Girl is a brand icon that the airline has invested years, a huge amount of work and many millions, to build up and establish, and it remains today a key differentiation between SIA and many other carriers so they are perfectly justified in choosing to use it as a fulcrum for their broader marketing strategy.’
Mr Seshan Ramaswani, a marketing don at the Singapore Management University, advised SIA to be careful about projecting the Girl’s image.
He said: ‘Increasingly, there are female business travellers who travel by themselves for business all over the world. The world has changed.’
Frequent traveller Alice Wong, 45, a business development manager, said she did not mind the Singapore Girl as an icon. But she added: ‘It would be nice to also see the Singapore Guy once in a while.’
Press:
NYC launch united new identity for Avid
Avid (www.avid.com), the market leader in digital audio and video technology, and WPP-owned global brand strategy and design agency The Brand Union, (www.thebrandunion.com), have unveiled a new brand identity as part of an overall effort to unite the five separate brands under one unique yet distinguishable mark.
As part of the company’s business transformation, Avid is on a mission to better serve the interests and needs of its customers as well as better integrate its five industry-leading businesses: Avid, Digidesign®, M-Audio®, Pinnacle Systems® and Sibelius®. The Brand Union was charged with the task to create a logo that unites all these separate brands under one name while at the same time making it identifiable with Avid.
At the center of the company’s new brand identity is the new logo, created by a design team led by Dennis Thomas, a Design Director at The Brand Union. Composed of simple yet iconic shapes, the new logo forms a visual connection that represents “volume up, volume down, play, pause, record and forward” while at the same time spelling out the company’s name.
Through this new identity, The Brand Union was able to bring together Avid’s category-creating technologies under a unified masterbrand to complement Avid’s new offerings, a new strategy, and a new operating model.
“Avid is a highly regarded brand among industry professionals,” said Thomas. “What we wanted to do was create a brand identity that would encompass all of Avid’s separate, industry-leading businesses while at the same time capitalizing on the union of digital audio and video technology. Through the use of the color purple and the universally recognized forms that make up the new logo, we were able to create a mark that alternates between being a graphic symbol and a word mark while still being clearly identifiable with Avid.”
The logo and news of the changes going on at Avid were unveiled at the NAB Show in Las Vegas in April. This was the first time Avid showcased audio and video products side-by-side in integrated workflows.
News:
The Brand Union named as Design Agency of the Year
Client judging panel recognises ‘the culmination of a remarkable transformation’
The Brand Union in London is delighted to have been voted UK market leader by Marketing magazine. The judging panel, which included senior marketing personnel from TUI, RBS and E-On, among others, were impressed by a year that has seen CEO Simon Bailey lead a ‘robust new business performance’ and cement the agency’s internal culture with improved HR initiatives.
Client work that was recognised included the branding for the combined Bank of America/ Merrill Lynch identity, a 2010 rebrand for Argos and continued work with Vodafone. In addition to this, the agency has won 15 new clients, including Castrol, Merck Serono and Premier Rugby, and extended its work for clients such as Reckitt Benckiser and HSBC Private Bank. Adding to its record awards tally this year, The Brand Union also picked up a Marketing Design Award, a DBA Design Effectiveness award and was published in the highly coveted D&AD Annual.
The judging panel also acknowledged the agency’s commitment to developing industry talent with the MA in Brand Development, recently launched by The Brand Union in conjunction with Goldsmith’s University. The agency is also sponsoring three students.
UK CEO Simon Bailey comments; “Following the rebrand in 2008, we knew we had all the pieces in place to become stronger than ever in our field. Since then, it has been all about bringing these elements together and ensuring everyone understands our guiding principle of ‘Brand Mastery’, and how they can apply to every brief we work on. We’re very pleased to see that this has translated into enduring and valuable client relationships, major new business wins and a very good year for us. Receiving this accolade is the icing on the cake.”
Press:
Reputation is Key
Published by: B2B Marketing
Author: Toby Southgate, Managing Director, London
It might always be fashionable to be cool, but it does beg the question of relevance In a world where brand is increasingly equated to reputation, not to logo – does being ‘cool’ have any bearing on measuring real brand value? This is particularly difficult in a world where brand equates to reputation, not to logo, especially within the world of B2B.
We know consumers want more – more value, more added extras, and more product excellence. Their relentless capacity to scrutinise organisations coupled with the advances in the way they access information, connect and interact, has created the emergence of wider and more complex spheres of influence. Ultimately this has significantly shifted the environment in which brands operate.
Awareness and understanding have evolved to such a degree that conversations are happening outside a brand’s direct control, influencing and to some extent driving a brand’s reputation. And if left unguided, the ramifications can prove disastrous. So, while ‘cool’ might be important for ego, it is reputation that is now more vital in safeguarding a brand’s value in the long-term, considering the fickle nature of the current economic climate.
The need to invest more time into developing long-term strategies to better interact with consumers across multiple touchpoints consistently – and effectively ‘gently’ guide brand reputation – cannot be underestimated. Being cool may contribute to your brand’s fame, but you know what they say about that lasting only 15 minutes.
News:
The Brand Union Dublin Wins the Grand Prix at Design Effectiveness Awards
The Brand Union Dublin is delighted to have scooped the coveted Grand Prix at the 2011 Irish Design Effectiveness Awards.
At the prize ceremony in Dublin our rebrand work for Glenilen Farm won the Consumer Branding & Identity category and was then announced as the overall Grand Prix winner.
Glenilen Farm is a family-run dairy farm in the heart of West Cork, Ireland, producing a range of delicious butter, yoghurts and desserts using highest quality ingredients. A recent success story of the food sector, Glenilen is at the forefront of Ireland’s food exports and in the past year has managed to get their products into various prestigious British outlets, ranging from Selfridges and Harvey Nichols in London to Tesco, Waitrose and Wholefoods.
The Irish Design Effectiveness Awards are unique in Ireland. The brief for the jury is to identify and reward the entry that was the most effective piece of design and delivered tangible, measurable economic benefits to the client.
News:
Dublin wins two top awards at Rebrand 100
The Brand Union Dublin’s rebrands for the GAA and National Lottery have been named two of the world’s most effective in the fifth annual ReBrand 100® Global Awards.
ReBrand 100® is the highest recognition for brand rebuilding and redesign in the business arena, and is the only global, juried program of its kind.
Over 40 industries and 21 countries are represented among the 2009 ReBrand 100 winners. The jury panel, new each year, consists of a multidisciplinary mix of prominent, international, industry experts.
The 2009 panel of 10 included CEO for InterbrandHealth Jane Parker, Burt Helm of BusinessWeek, and Creative Director of Australia-based Principals, Simon Wright.
ReBrand 100® is unique among other awards in that it analyses the before and after state of the rebrand, and assesses its impact on strategic business goals and target markets.
Visit Rebrand 100 to view our winning work for GAA and National Lottery.
Press:
Singapore office appointed for Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games
Following a three month pitch process, the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC) appointed The Brand Union Singapore as the consultant to develop the brand identity for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG).
A new initiative of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the YOG seeks to engage the youth of the world through the twin pillars of sport, culture and education. Singapore will be hosting the first YOG in August 2010.
TBU Singapore is responsible for the strategy, design and consultancy on the Look of the Games for Singapore 2010. Working closely with SYOGOC, TBU Singapore developed the brand vision, and adapted and refined the official logo, which was chosen from a number of entries submitted by the general public and Singaporean design companies. The official logo was unveiled in Singapore on 10th January 2009.
The Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games will see some 3,600 athletes and 800 officials from the 205 National Olympic Committees (NOCs). Young athletes – aged 14 to 18 years – will compete in 26 sports and take part in a Culture and Education Programme during the Games.
In the months leading up to the Games, TBU Singapore will be participating in the creation of core graphics and pictograms for the Games, and a host of other projects such as the development of ‘Look of the Games’ to create excitement and understanding of Singapore 2010 and to prepare the city for the eyes of the world.
Press:
The Brand Union Doha Office Opens
Published by: Gulf Times
Leading strategic branding agency, The Brand Union, has opened its Doha office on Suhaim Bin Hamad Street, on the back of a major new business win.
“A couple of months ago we started working with a major player in Qatar whose global ambition has enabled us to take the leap and set up an office in Doha,” Hermann Behrens, CEO, The Brand Union Middle East said.
The Doha office will be headed up by Iain Webster, executive director, who has been in the region for eight years and joined The Brand Union Dubai as client service director in January 2008.
The Brand Union has twenty offices across the world and offers strategic brand consultancy services to the likes of Bank of America, Credit Suisse, Reckitt Benckiser and Vodafone.
News:
New Masters degree launched by The Brand Union with Goldsmiths
Global brand agency, The Brand Union, and Goldsmiths, University of London are set to launch a unique, international Master’s degree in Brand Development.
The postgraduate degree, starting in September, will take a rigorous, academic approach to the study of contemporary branding and communications methodologies and their social, economic and political contexts. Key themes such as intellectual property rights, the changing media environment, globalisation and the impact of digital communications and marketing technologies will also form part of the syllabus.
The unique Master’s degree is an initiative of the respected James Curran, Professor of Communications and Director of the Goldsmiths Leverhulme Media Research Centre, and Crispin Jameson – worldwide chief strategy officer for The Brand Union.
Goldsmiths and The Brand Union, whose clients include SABMiller, Vodafone, Canon and Reckitt Benckiser, collaborated to develop the course structure and content. Throughout the curriculum, The Brand Union will play a key role, providing guest speakers and presenters from around the global network, sharing live client briefs for the students to work on, and culminating in the offer of a placement within the agency.
Simon Bolton, Worldwide CEO of The Brand Union says; “Central to our philosophy is the quest for Brand Mastery, and so it is natural that we would want to connect to a Master’s degree at Goldsmiths – a unique and distinctive higher education institution, well-known for its innovative and creative approaches. The culmination of nearly two years’ worth of planning, this initiative is the most significant way we could realise our commitment to the next generation of branding and design talent.”
“The Brand Union is passionate about investing in skills and education, we believe that the art and science of brand building is something which we can help students understand before they enter the creative workforce. Through this experience, we hope to create that connection between what students are taught and what clients need from their branding partners; this is the most meaningful way we could do that.”
James Curran, Professor of Communications at Goldsmiths adds: “The partnership with The Brand Union will provide our students with invaluable practical insights and experience of the world’s biggest brands, in addition to the rigorous critical and creative approaches nurtured by the Department of Media and Communications.
Bolton continues, “Looking ahead, we hope the pilot course becomes a platform for repeating a similar programme in other parts of the world, possibly through the Goldsmith’s relationship with the Xinghua University in Beijing, China and also with MIT in the US.”
News:
Sarah Alspach Joins WPP at The Brand Union
The Brand Union is delighted to announce the appointment of Sarah Alspach as the new WPP Team Leader for Bank of America.
In this role Sarah will have responsibility for supporting the growth of Bank of America internationally, overseeing the coordination and management of all WPP businesses. Sarah will be based at The Brand Union Worldwide in London and will also lead our company’s global relationship with this key client partner.
Sarah has had extensive client-side experience having spent: two years as Marketing Director at Barclaycard in charge of the loyalty programme, nine years at Shell International in a variety of global marketing and communication roles and three years at American Express. Prior to that Sarah worked for Ogilvy & Mather in London and Bronner Slosberg Humphrey (now Digitas) in Boston.
Joining Sarah will be Michael McComb who joins us as Lead Strategic Counsel for the Bank of America team within WPP, based in The Brand Union, Hong Kong.
Michael will play a key role supporting the Bank’s strategy to build its reputation and brand presence across Asia Pacific, working closely with Sarah and our New York team, Michael will help with strategic guidance over competitive positioning, all areas of marketing communication and brand development.
Michael has most recently been ‘our client’ as the Head of Brand Planning at the Hong Kong Jockey Club – one of the most famous and venerable brands in this region. Prior to this Michael has held leadership ‘roles’ at the South China Morning Post, TBWA (and The Disruption Consultancy) and Springpoint Consulting all based in Hong Kong. Before that Michael worked in Silicon Valley with a range of technology clients.
Sarah and Michael join us at an exciting time. The Bank is a fast growing business for both WPP and The Brand Union and we work on a range of brand, communications, PR, research and CSR initiatives for different divisions of Bank of America Merrill Lynch in EMEA and Asia Pacific, as well as in North America.
News:
Identity and advertising campaign for Bank of America Merrill Lynch unveiled
This Thursday, Bank of America will unveil the new face of its Global Commercial Banking, Global Corporate & Investment Banking and Global Markets businesses – to be known as Bank of America Merrill Lynch – in a new international advertising campaign. The new identity and the advertising campaign were created by global brand agency The Brand Union, part of WPP.
Ending months of speculation since the buy-out in September last year, the new identity acknowledges the heritage of Merrill Lynch’s 95-year old brand, and skillfully weds it to Bank of America’s iconic mark (originally designed by The Brand Union in 1998*). Says Anne Finucane, Chief Marketing Officer for Bank of America, “Combined, the brands are stronger than either on their own.”
Bank of America Merrill Lynch is one of Bank of America’s three major businesses, providing broad financial services to mid-market, corporate and institutional clients.
As WPP’s lead brand agency within the Bank of America team, The Brand Union partnered with Bank of America following its acquisition of Merrill last year, to identify the right brand strategy to help the international powerhouses forge a new path ahead as one new entity.
This appointment builds on The Brand Union’s existing relationship with the bank, initially selected to spearhead Bank of America’s marketing push in EMEA and later appointed as the bank’s global brand partner to handle the merger.
The Brand Union, a WPP-owned brand agency with 21 offices around the world, created the original identity for Bank of America in 1998. The project is serviced globally, with delivery from both the London and New York office.
News:
The Brand Union Promotes Dave Brown to Worldwide Development Director for Consumer Branding
The Brand Union has promoted Dave Brown to the newly created position of Worldwide Development Director for Consumer Branding. The move comes as the global design and branding agency seeks to develop its consumer branding offering and take on a wider portfolio of work from consumer brands.
Brown’s new remit will be to seek out, identify, and define consumer branding opportunities from the agency’s existing and new client base. He will also oversee the strategy and processes that will deliver effective work for the world’s leading consumer brands.
Brown will move to the worldwide team, based in London and relinquish his role as London Chairman. He will draw on his considerable experience working on iconic global FMCG brands to become a more vocal thought leader on global consumer branding.
Simon Bolton, worldwide CEO, The Brand Union comments:
“Dave’s passion, experience and creativity in consumer branding will be essential for the network to continue to expand this side of the business. Dave has been with The Brand Union since 2002 and has over 27 years’ experience working in the design industry. I’m looking forward to working closely with him in the worldwide team and seeing the next wave of global consumer projects come to fruition.”
News:
Janet Kinghorn representing South African Design at Cannes
Janet Kinghorn, Executive Creative Director, for The Brand Union Africa has been chosen to judge the prestigious Cannes Design Lions in June this year. This is the first time she has been invited to judge and the only South African to be chosen for this category in 2011.
Janet’s extensive experience includes working with brands such as Nike, Coca-Cola, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson and SAB providing exceptional creative insight and strategy. Starting from humble beginnings at Jupiter Drawing Room; Kinghorn moved to Lowe Bull to grow their design team seven-fold and swiftly went on to join the Coley Porter Bell team in Cape Town. During her stay she projected the agency to great heights; including a #34 ranking on the Ogilvy Creative Cadre listing, which is an astonishing achievement given the stiff competition in the Ogilvy global network.
Recognised in 2002 as the 10th overall top creative in South Africa, as judged by Adfocus and the CDF, Kinghorn has never disappointed with an assortment of awards including six entries into D&AD, a Bronze One Show Pencil and seven Loeries in assorted colours. But “what really makes my cola fizz is making brands grow big and strong” the unassuming talent confesses. In between all this, Kinghorn fed another passion of hers; her own shoe brand; Crayon, which she managed for 8 years. Kinghorn has recently joined the top rank at Brand Union (Africa) as Executive Creative Director.
Kinghorn modestly comments on her appointment as a Cannes Lions Design jury member; “I was lucky enough to go to Cannes as a delegate many, many years ago, when my name was picked out of a hat. It was an awe-inspiring week that left me with big eyes, a need to be a better creative and a wonder as to why design was not on the program. This year, not only is design a big part of the agenda, but I am thrilled to say that I am heading back to Cannes but this time as a judge!”
“The Brand Union is extremely proud of Janet’s achievement and her selection as a judge is a great testament to her creative talent”, says Anthony Swart, CEO for The Brand Union Africa.
“Cannes represents the best that the world has to offer creatively, so I feel extremely proud and honoured to be representing South Africa. I am excited about being exposed to such a broad spectrum of work and am looking forward to seeing how South Africa and the rest of the emerging markets fare against Europe and America,” concludes Kinghorn.
Press:
Prudential Takes Strong Asian Focus (with help from The Brand Union)
Published by: Elizabeth Low, Marketing Magazine (Singapore)
Featuring: The Brand Union
Prudential has launched a new brand, Eastspring Investments, to unify its asset management operations in Asia, and replacing various current asset management brands in most markets.
Prudential worked with The Brand Union for the rebranding effort.
The new brand is aimed at creating a unified brand across its eight businesses (excluding joint venture businesses) which currently operate under different names across Asia.
It also aims to highlight the Asian heritage of the business as well as its geographic presence and understanding of the region to allow growth within Asia and outside of Asia, particularly of its offshore fund products.
The new brand name will replace the different business names currently in used in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam. It will not apply to joint venture operations in China and India, or in Hong Kong through BOCI-Prudential and rebranding plans are still subject to regulatory approval.
News:
JWT New York wins $200m U.S. Tourism Account with help from The Brand Union
Author: Maureen Morrison, Rupal Parekh, “AdAge”
Featuring: The Brand Union New York
JWT, New York, has picked up marketing duties for the U.S. Corp. for Travel Promotion account after a review.
In the last round of the pitch, which took just a couple of months from start to finish, the WPP shop faced off against sibling Ogilvy, New York, and Omnicom Group’s DDB, New York. Agency representatives either declined to comment or could not be immediately reached.
JWT won the business with the help of WPP siblings including media shop MediaCom, PR agency Hill & Knowlton and strategic branding shop The Brand Union.
News:
A Bronze Pentaward for The Brand Union London
The Brand Union London is thrilled to have been awarded a Bronze Pentaward for it’s packaging design for Five Vodka.
The Pentawards recognise excellence in packaging design, with a global competition judged by leading figures from the industry. It is the only worldwide competition dedicated to packaging design and serves to highlight the profession to a global audience, through promoting only the best design work in the category. This year over 950 entries were submitted from more than 50 countries around the world.
‘Five’ Vodka is a 43%ABV premium vodka, distilled by the Welsh Whisky Company using water drawn from the Breacon Beacons – glacial water that has been naturally filtered through ancient rock formations. This incredible purity, combined with the five–column distilled grain spirit and traditional copper still, produces an elegant vodka with superior quality and smoothness than it’s charcoal filtered rivals. This batch produced spirit is so unique, it’s packaging needed to reflect the quality and purity.
Borrowing from the house colour palette, we designed a striking black bottle, breaking with the norm for ultimate shelf presence in a crowded marketplace. The limited edition packaging retains the brewers native bottle shape for familiarity, whilst moving their designs forward in a dramatic way. The re-imagined marque embraces the name and highlights the letter ‘V’, the Roman numeral for five, in a reflection of the unique five-column distillery process.
Speaking of the design and award win, Glenn Tutssel, Executive Creative Director commented “This was a great project for us to work on, we have a lot of experience in this sector and were really pleased with the final designs. We were thrilled to be recognised with The Pentaward.”
The Pentawards prize ceremony was held in New York on the 29th of September 2011, at the Marriott Marquis on Times Square. The designs awarded will be presented in Paris in January 2012 at the DesignPack Gallery (www.designpackgallery.fr), the creative space devoted to packaging design, opened under the initiative of Fabrice Peltier. All awarded entries from the 2011 and 2012 awards will be made available in a 400+ page book published by Taschen and available from October 2012.
For more information on the Pentawards, visit the site www.pentawards.org
News:
Tristan Macheral Joins The Brand Union Paris As Executive Creative Director
The Brand Union is delighted to welcome Tristan Macheral to the Paris office as Executive Creative Director.
Having graduated from Ecole Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne, Tristan went on to start his own agency in Switzerland which he managed for six years, before joining Dragon Rouge in Paris as International Creative Director in 2007.
Tristan has a wealth of experience in consumer branding, counting Kraft Foods, Unilever, Nestlé Waters, Philip Morris, Yoplait and Hédiard amongst his previous clients, with projects in branding, packaging and global activation.
The Brand Union is excited to start a new chapter of the Paris office’s history with him today.
News:
The Brand Union Jakarta Marches Strong
The Brand Union Jakarta have won two new important projects in March: Aerowisata and Mayora.
The projects will add another dimension to the consultancy’s already broad and impressive portfolio, since its inception in early 2007. The first major task is to rebrand Aerowisata, one of Indonesia’s largest hospitality services group. The company is a subsidiary of Garuda Indonesia, the country’s national flag carrier.
Aerowisata is mostly known for its in-flight catering service, yet over the years have expanded into hotels, industrial services, tour and travel, ground transportation, and soon into retail F&B.
“Although the world is experiencing an economic crisis, we believe in the strength of Indonesia’s fundamentals, and the hospitality industry is no different. Opportunities exist for companies to strengthen their businesses during these challenging times, and I’m confident through this branding initiative Aerowisata will reinforce and develop its leading position”, said Neil Hudspeth, CEO of The Brand Union Asia Pacific.
Another major win in Indonesia is the Mayora account. Mayora is one of Indonesia’s largest FMCG company, with 6 business divisions: biscuit, candy, wafer, chocolate, healthy foods, and coffee. Mayora group’s leading brands are Kopiko, Torabika, Beng-Beng, and many others.
The Brand Union Jakarta will be responsible for creating the Brand Guidelines for Mayora’s brands that will be used globally, as the company plans to become more aggressive in its overseas market in the midst of the current crisis. “This is once again evidence that smart companies and brands realise that opportunities exist to grow, strengthen and better protect themselves during these turbulent times,’ says Daniel Surya, TBU’s Country Director.
Daniel Surya will hold the new accounts along with Account Director Yasha Chatab.
Press:
Siri, Are You Selling More iPhones?
Published by: Kunur Patel, AdAge DIGITAL
Featuring: Richard Bates, Chief Creative Officer, The Brand Union New York
That Apple has a hit phone isn’t a surprise. That the new iPhone has broken sales records without radical changes to hardware, however, is.
Initial reaction to the iPhone 4S was one of crushing disappointment. It wasn’t an iPhone 5, as tech publications had led us to expect. It was mere upgrade to its current handset, albeit one that did everything incrementally better and faster.
However, one thing especially softened the blow: a voice-activated personal assistant software with a cute name: Siri. Since the phones have shipped, Siri has proven to be the iPhone-loving masses most-talked about feature.
Which begs the question: how much credit should the iPhone’s new and very vocal Siri take in driving sales? We asked Siri this, but she punted on the question, answering: “‘Let me think about that. I cannot answer but I can search the web for it if you like.”
But it’s becoming clear that this is a phone launched on the back of a single, somewhat magical feature. “For the last 24 hours Siri has been my best friend and I’ve tried to show I’m cool by sharing her with everyone I meet,” said Richard Bates, CCO for WPP’s The Brand Union via email. “But most of all Siri helps make up for my initial big disappointment when no iPhone 5 materialized.”
Siri will figure prominently in upcoming ads for the new phone, given that exclusive features like Facetime and apps have been the focus of Apple’s iPhone ads in the past. The demo video for Facetime is the most-watched Apple video of all time, according to Visible Measures.
News:
The Brand Union Paris is Agency of the Year – Again!
The Brand Union Paris has been named Design Agency of the Year in the 32nd Grand Prix Agency of the Year Awards – for the 2nd time!
The annual awards organised by the Institut National de la Proprieté Industrielle recognise communications and marketing agencies based on their year on year growth, new client acquisitions, customer loyalty and creative awards wins. This is the second time that The Brand Union Paris has received the accolade, having received the award in 2004 too.
Stephane Ricou, CEO of The Brand Union Paris said “We are delighted to receive this award, and not for the first time! It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our whole team here in Paris especially our MD Céline Derosier, and is a result of the excellent client relationships we have here and across the Brand Union network.”
The Brand Union works with major clients out of the Paris office including Henkel, Daniel Jouvance, Heineken, JTI and Pernod.
News:
The Big Book Kicks Off Cannes Also at 58th Cannes Lions
The Big Book, a giant book containing hundreds of photographs that celebrate the personal creative process, will be unveiled at the 58th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
It has been designed and created by The Brand Union and Lambie Nairn, and is supported by Clear Channel and Getty Images.
The Big Book is the inaugural exhibition of CannesAlso, a new initiative that showcases work of people in the global creative marketing industries, produced in their spare time. Over 1,500 photographs were submitted. 1,200 have been selected to feature in The Big Book, and 11 images have been chosen by acclaimed photographer Rankin, and will be displayed prominently on the installation.
The chosen 11 photograph that features in The Big Book will be given a QR code, so delegates and visitors viewing the work can scan and download high-res versions of their favourite selections.
The Big Book will be on display directly outside the Palais des Festivals for the duration of Cannes Lions.
Rankin, curator of The Big Book, comments:
“The Big Book stands as a towering reminder of creativity and the power of images to evoke strong emotions and spark further creative outputs. It was a pleasure to be asked to help select the photos that have made it into The Big Book and I was extremely impressed by both the quality of these images, but also of the wide range of subject matter.
“The beauty of photography is its inclusivity; every one of us has the potential to create images of beauty, poignancy and inspiration, no matter who we are. The Big Book is a symbol of this exoteric expression, and a reminder that our intrinsic creativity has the power to influence and enhance everything we do.”
Simon Bolton, worldwide chief executive of The Brand Union comments:
“CannesAlso is a hugely important event for The Brand Union, as it enables us to celebrate a different yet hugely relevant boundary of the global industry’s creativity. We wanted an event that recognises the need to empower external creativity through personal expression, and as such, The Big Book has become a powerful forum to explore ideas through images.”
“Ideas that truly resonate with others must be honest and true, originating from the heart and mind of the creative; CannesAlso represents this.”
View Rankin’s selection of top 11 entries here
About The Big Book
1,500 photographs submitted by people working in the global creative industry, from 35 countries
1,200 photographs printed in The Big Book
11 selected by acclaimed photographer Rankin
Weight of The Big Book – 7.9 tonnes (including flooring 2 tonnes weight, 14 metal frames @ 300KG per section)
100 pages
Size – 4m wide, 2.5m high
Size of the truck transporting The Big Book to Cannes – 17 tonnes (two days to ship it from UK to France)
27 people involved in the creation and organisation of The Big Book
18 people dedicated to the build of The Big Book (including designers, metal workers, engineers, fabricators, drivers, project manager)
Materials used to make The Big Book
52m Aluminium length
302 sqm Fire rated timber
169sqm MDF
58m structural steel
169m carpet, calculated to withstand a wind speed capability of 92MPH
Press:
The Brand Union Africa joins forces with The Fearless Executive and Coley Porter Bell
The Brand Union has acquired Coley Porter Bell (South Africa) and The Fearless Executive and will be operating as The Brand Union Africa as of 1 April 2011.
“A long term strategic view has been taken on the branding industry. The evolving needs of clients, as well as the changing nature of the industry, requires a shift in what we deliver and how we deliver it” Says CEO, Anthony Swart. “Part of the vision critical to the new future of any brand is a meaningful, well planned and flawless brand experience. This goes beyond the realm of what we traditionally see as the ‘brand world’ – it is about every interaction that the consumer has with the brand and all these experiences must be underpinned by clear strategic direction and delivered with high creative integrity and inspiration”, says Swart.
With more than 30 years experience The Brand Union has developed a strong reputation in corporate branding and retail design. Our work has been underpinned by strategic focus – what we term the perfect mix of art and science. “In order for us to achieve our vision for expansion and meet the needs of a changing brand environment, we identified businesses that had the right credentials, spirit and culture to join us in delivering the levels of creativity and brand experience that will matter.” says Swart. Enter The Fearless Executive and Coley Porter Bell.
The Fearless Executive has had a strong reputation for over 10 years in the South African market as an agency specialising in brand experience by designing brand driven solutions that shift and positively influence the internal and external consumer experience.
The Fearless Executive Managing Director, Terry Behan joins The Brand Union as the Head of Engagement, providing the experience, skill and strength to offer a better integrated internal brand and experience solution to the South African and African markets going forward.
“Being essentially a specialised agency, we have always battled with gaining access and exposure to a global stage; The Brand Union provides us with this. Already we are rolling out brand engagement and brand experience solutions in East Africa, West Africa and the Middle East. It’s an exciting time and we are thrilled to be part of the union”, says Behan.
Coley Porter Bell has an exceptional creative reputation, living up to their mantra: “We make brands beautiful”. Looking for a breakthrough in terms of scale and African reach, the merger was a perfect fit as The Brand Union offered the required scope for expansion. The new injection of creative skill and inspiration will add greater diversity to our business.
“I believe that designers have a huge responsibility because we have the power to change perceptions on a very large scale. With creativity comes innovation, and this is what is needed in the world of business. As designers, we ask different types of questions that allow us new insights into the relationships that people have with brands. Mix this type of creativity with strategic rigour and you have a powerful force for change”, says Janet Kinghorn, Executive Creative Director.
Coley Porter Bell’s office in Cape Town continues to operate but now as The Brand Union. “The collective strength of these businesses will create a stronger set of experience, skill and integrated brand delivery, allowing The Brand Union Africa a head start in creating brands of the future today” concludes Swart.
News:
GAA launches 125th year celebrations
The GAA has launched a comprehensive and exciting calendar of events to celebrate the foundation of the GAA in 1884.
As part of this The Brand Union has created a special 125 version of the GAA identity along with a series of visuals to reflect the past, present and future of the Association and the games.
These graphics will be used for key events such as the GAA Spectacle Event in Croke Park and the Late Late Show in January, the St Patrick’s Day Festival Parade in March and the GAA Schools day in April along with a number of cultural events to take place nationally throughout the year.
News:
The Brand Union Singapore Scoops Silver at Asian Marketing Effectiveness Awards
On the evening of Friday 13th May at the Asian Marketing Effectiveness (AMEs) Awards Festival in Shanghai, The Brand Union Singapore won Silver in the Most effective use of product design and packaging category for its work on Kotex Ultrathins in Singapore.
The AMEs is the most prestigious and hotly contested effectiveness awards in Asia and The Brand Union overcame some extremely tough competition in a category with dozens of submissions from across the region and five short-listed entries. This win follows the MVA awarded to the Kotex work in April and is a wonderful demonstration that strategically-led, insightful and brave design work can garner great results as well as creative plaudits.
Not only was The Brand Union Singapore’s Silver the only award won by a branding design agency, it was also the only win from the Ogilvy office in Singapore.
Dan Ellis (Creative Director, Singapore), Alan Couldrey (CEO Asia Pacific) and Monica Lee (MD, Shanghai were all in attendance at the event. Below is a copy of the citation from the AMEs and a link to the AMEs website for more information and the video entry.
Thanks and congratulations must go out to The Brand Union Singapore team as a whole, but especially to those most closely involved with this wonderful achievement – Dan Ellis, Yanjun Zhang, JieNi Liew, Esther Lim and Denis Tan.
Next year we shoot for Gold!
Citation from AME Judges
Objectives
Kotex’s business objective was to increase market share and improve its position in the ultrathin segment of the feminine care market, which is expected to grow by 10% and account for half of all purchases in 2011.
Strategy
The Brand Union Singapore conducted ethnographic research to better understand the drivers of purchase decisions within this demographic and found that design and aesthetics play a key role. A consumer preference study further corroborated that attractiveness and femininity are key preference drivers alongside the more functional attributes of absorbency, comfort and softness. Kotex had developed a new product innovation allowing multi-coloured patterns to be printed onto the pads. But this strategy faced a number of challenges, including modest marketing spend compared to rival brands, a highly aggressive pricing strategy for the new product and the need for innovation and perceived fit of the brand to consumers’ personalities. The design objective was to disrupt current category conventions and challenge ingrained consumer apathy with packaging design capable of connecting with young women on an altogether more emotive, empathetic and visceral level, clearly conveying the aesthetic credentials of the new product and prompting a radical reappraisal of Kotex as a brand and the narrowness of previous purchase behaviour.
Results
Just over four months after the launch of Kotex Luxe Colours, Nielsen data showed that its market share had grown more than fourfold and the brand showed a similar increase in value sales at a time when the overall market segment declined. Kotex Luxe has also significantly closed the gap to the number three brand in the market.
News:
Bright Ideas – Globally Recognised
The Brand Union Middle East is the most awarded branding agency at the Dubai Lynx Awards 2011 (affiliated to the famed Cannes Lions Advertising Festival). The premier awards for the regional branding and media industry, this is the first year that Dubai Lynx has included Design as a part of the awards mix.
The Brand Union won Silver and Bronze in the coveted Corporate Identity section for its work on Kizad, the Abu Dhabi based industrial zone at the forefront of the Emirate’s economic diversification efforts and Mauzan an Al Ain based designer Abaya and Sheila brand.
Our success on two such diverse projects highlights the strength of our approach to brand building. In all our work, we blend art and science to arrive at a bright idea that not only inspires, but also provides a sustainable competitive advantage for clients.
To know more contact hermann.behrens@thebrandunion.com
Press:
Communicate – Ocean Outdoors
Published by: Molly Pierce, Communicate magazine.
Featuring: Toby Southgate, Managing Director
A digital advertising company at the premium end of the market, Ocean Outdoors realised that it needed a premium brand: But with no existing brand to speak of, it was creating a new identity from a standing start. Molly Pierce reports
Ocean Outdoor is hard to miss. Across Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, London and Manchester, it operates large-format, innovative digital advertising sites in 35 premium locations. It’s hosted Kelly Brook in Reebok trainers and not much else at Battersea Power Station, and spray paint artist Jamie Brown abseiling down a billboard at the Foundry in Shoreditch to create a Becks advert over three days.
The company, established in December 2004, had been development-led from the outset, with a focus on sourcing outstanding sites for billboards. Ocean Outdoor offered something completely different to the rest of the outdoor advertising market by exclusively working with top quality sites, and its growing traction in the outdoor marketplace was recognised in 2008 when the private equity firm Smedvig Capital invested £5.5 million in the company. Smedvig’s chief executive Johnny Hewett cited Ocean’s “proven ability in the premium end of the market, and a reputation for delivering ‘best of breed’ quality.”
But until recently, Ocean Outdoor had little in the way of a brand identity. Richard Malton, Ocean’s marketing director, takes up the story. “People were starting to recognise Ocean sites – such as the three digital screens at Holland Park Roundabout – but wouldn’t know who the operators were.
Advertisers would want to use the IMAX site, but wouldn’t know it was an Ocean site. We were known for a premium product, in a premium location, attracting a premium audience – but we didn’t have a premium brand; we didn’t have any brand at all.”
Peer Review: Toby Southgate, The Brand Union
The notion of an outdoor media company branding itself might seem ironic. But once you get over that perception hurdle, there is a good case for creating a strong and differentiated brand for Ocean Outdoors.
Ocean Outdoor has tapped into a significant niche. The potency and impact of moving image in the outdoor media environment is hard to miss – I nearly drove into the Hammersmith flyover when I saw Kelly Brook writhing around in her Reeboks.
If Ocean Outdoor can build scale and reputation quickly, the business stands to do well. The new branding is clean, crisp and typographically spot on. It seems to have taken inspiration from fashion and retail (the Vogue ‘O’ is instantly recognisable) but given the likely target market, that’s an understandable route to take.
Press:
Ambrish Chaudhry Talks to Campaign Magazine about Celebrity Endorsement in the Middle East
Published by: Campaign Magazine
Featuring. Ambrish Chaudhry, Strategy Director The Brand Union Middle East
Some see celebrity endorsements as worthy, while some are not convinced. We ask two senior industry figures if brand ambassadors are indeed a waste of brands’ money.
Aren’t brand ambassadors an irrelevant add-on, hitched onto the lazy and uncreative ‘celebrities are cool’ bandwagon?
Given the many unoriginal, uncreative celebrity campaigns out there, one would not be wrong to associate endorsements with lazy marketing. However, celebrity endorsements used in a compelling manner can provide tremendous breakthroughs and a potent means of standing out in a cluttered market. Some very big brands have been built on a history of relevant celebrity endorsement.
UK supermarket Sainsbury’s claim that TV chef Jamie Oliver’s ad campaign for the company was responsible for a quarter of its profits in 2002. Is that level of brand ambassadorship possible in the region?
The key reason for the success of the Sainsbury’s association with Jamie Oliver was ‘authenticity’. Not only was it evident that Oliver knew what he was talking about in the Sainsbury’s commercials, but he also worked behind the scenes with the supermarket on its products. For a regional association to be this productive, marketers and advertisers need to think beyond just popularity while choosing the apt brand ambassador. Remember, you can’t fake authenticity.
What are the metrics for a “successful” brand endorsement campaign?
To arrive at the right metrics, marketers need to first answer what was the objective of the endorsement. If the objective was to achieve cut-through and awareness, it should be measured accordingly and if the objective was a change in image or a rise in sales then that is where the focus in measurement should be. Safe to say you can’t comment on the effectiveness of the endorsement till you’ve clearly identified the reasons you needed one.
Does the use of a brand ambassador represent a lack of confidence in the brand’s product offering?
Endorsements are expensive and need nurturing, so investing in something when you don’t have the belief in its success would be counter-productive. In fact, compelling strategic endorsements can clearly demonstrate the faith that the organisation has in its product.
What has been your favourite brand ambassador campaign in the region, and why?
Olay’s choice of Nadine Labaki is interesting. As a talented, driven, hard working and successful person, Nadine is a strong icon for women in the region. She is well known for her work and in associating with her Olay is seeking to become the choice of time-poor women who prefer brands that can fit into their lifestyle.
News:
Oleg Kuzmin Joins The Brand Union Moscow
The Brand Union is delighted to announce the arrival of Oleg Kuzmin as the new Managing Director of the Moscow operation.
Oleg knows the WPP family well having worked with Y+R in Russia, as well as setting up the Added Value business in Moscow.
Most recently Oleg has been the General Manager of Y+R Moscow where he has overseen 120 people and been closely involved with major Russian Clients; Beeline and Nycomed and multinational clients such as Colgate, Palmol- ive, LG, Pepsico and PMI.
Commenting on his appointment, Simon Bolton, Worldwide CEO of The Brand Union said “We have ambitious growth plans for the Russian market and Oleg will work closely with Julia Plavinskaya and our existing team in Moscow to focus on the twin objectives of building our brand reputation and our ambitions to partner with exciting businesses in this burgeoning market.“
Today, the Moscow team manages key assignments with JTI and Henkel (two of our largest global client partnerships) and they have a number of major branding opportunities in the pipeline.
Press:
Environment: Long-term Impact of Green Issues Played Down
Published by: Rod Newing, Financial Times
Featuring: Terry Tyrell, Worldwide Chairman The Brand Union
Awareness of environmental issues is growing among consumers, who now understand more clearly the role that business plays in producing emissions or harming the environment.
With boycott websites and social networking, consumers have the tools to punish a brand quickly for any perceived transgression anywhere in the world.
“When it became popular in the 1980s, the green consumer base rose to about 20 per cent,” says Terry Tyrrell, worldwide chairman of The Brand Union, another brand agency. “Immediately after ‘black Monday’ [the global stock market crash of October 1987] it went down to 5 per cent, so it was economically driven. Although there are some ‘true greens’, there are also a lot of ‘pale greens’.”
Mr Tyrrell sees brands taking on a more socially responsible role. They will use their trusted relationship to educate consumers that adjusting their habits is in their best interest, as well as the environment’s.
“Brands can be a force for good, not just for charging a premium and earning more money,” he says. “In this economically challenged time, they can persuade people not to knee-jerk to price and convenience.”
News:
ABSOLUT MIAMI
January 2012, the world’s most iconic vodka introduced Absolut® Miami, its sixth limited-edition, city-inspired flavour.
The challenge was to develop a truly inspiring concept that resonated with the free-spirited people of Miami and the greater Florida area.
Maxime Kouchnir, VP Marketing at Pernod Ricard stated: “The Brand Union has a keen understanding of the cultural nuances that play a critical role for our city series. Their work in bringing these cities to life, through a bottle design that’s a whimsical wink and a knowing nod to what defines Brooklyn, San Francisco, and Miami, is a sheer testament to their immersion and research in these markets”
Daniel Andersson, a Creative Director at The Brand Union NY, a global branding agency, talks about the development of the design: “Absolut is an iconic brand. We wanted to continue the success of its city series by bringing Miami to life on the bottle, while telling a story that encompasses all the attributes, quirks, and spices of this amazingly diverse and passionate city”.
The design needed to move beyond the flavour, a refreshing blend of passion fruit and orange blossom. This fusion of flavours echoes the hot climate and passionate fire of Miami with undertones of the ever-present Floridian orange. The brand looks to take the consumer on an adventure from dusk ’til dawn through the city, indulging the senses in the vibrant beat of the nightlife that Miami has to offer.
Absolut Miami follows on the heels of the agency’s successful collaboration with previous limited editions which have included Absolut Brooklyn in 2010 and Absolut SF in 2011.
“This is the absolute taste of a city through design – Bienvenidos a Miami!”, Daniel Andersson.
Press:
The Brand Union offers clients a new horizon
The Brand Union Dubai, the hub of the Middle East operation, announces its move to region’s creative centre in Dubai Media City.
The Brand Union’s new home on 43rd floor of Business Central Towers signifies the appreciation for a more refined and demanding market. The new office has been dynamically modelled around the changing needs of clients.
Agility and collaboration are at the heart of the design with the ability to invite visiting international consultants, partners and clients to click in and work with The Brand Union teams in a dynamic and inspirational environment.
Hermann Behrens, CEO of The Brand Union Middle East says: “The office space has been designed to encourage knowledge sharing, collaboration and co-inspiration across our teams and also bring us closer to our clients and their business.”
The Brand Union methodologies and visual identity have been a big inspiration in the design of the space. The Brand Union’s in-house design teams used their skill set to devise a design for a new era to better serve their clients synergy. The design team infused the aspect of art and science of brand building literally into the space.
The customised furniture combines hand made artistic pieces with modern high tech elements and shapes. The angles which make up The Brand Union identity can be seen within the core of the space creating the walls for the informal meeting spaces and offices.
The Brand Union is actively involved in building powerful brands across the region and the move cements the agency’s continued commitment to the region, as well as the increasing need for world class branding consultancies.
During the past year the agency has experienced significant growth and launched the only branding agency with a fully operational team in the UAE’s capital, Abu Dhabi.
2008 prepared the foundations and matured the business. This year, The Brand Union is looking forward to continuing to demonstrate the value it adds to their clients’ brands and businesses. The company is actively building partnerships with clients to help them grow, direct and protect their brands.
The Brand Union is synonymous with helping clients build long-term brand value to leading brands such as: Al Hilal Bank, Limitless, Mubadala, Sorouh, TDIC, Abu Dhabi Culture and Heritage, Al Qasba, Emaar, Tatweer, Tawuniya, Saraya Holdings and Al Rajhi bank.
Worldwide CEO of The Brand Union, Simon Bolton says: “I am delighted to be here to officially open the new Dubai office. At the core of our offering is brand mastery and this is a leading example of how this is infused into everything we do: To better deliver valuable and memorable brand worlds and ultimately long-term brand value for our clients.”
News:
Richard Bates on "How to Boost the Creative Energy of Employees"
Author: Ladan Nikravan, "Chief Learning Officer Magazine"
Feature: Richard Bates, Chief Creative Officer, New York
Richard Bates comments in Chief Learning Officer magazine on how to successfully manage and foster creativity in the workplace
“Creativity needs to be given space to grow, but that doesn’t mean individuals and teams should be completely left to their own devices or are untouchable,” said Richard Bates, Chief Creative Officer for global brand agency The Brand Union. “A creative environment is a nurturing environment. The role of creative leadership is to inspire, curate and moderate while allowing the freedom and space to discover unexpected solutions.”
Press:
Does Tesco Believe in it’s Own Brand?
Published by: Rachel Donachie, Pitch design.
Featuring: JR Little, Senior Consultant The Brand Union London
As Tesco launches its first branded yoghurt range ’Yoo’, and boasts its ability to undercut ’popular brands’ by 20%, we ask the branding and design industry why the retailer is choosing not to market predominantly under its own brand name?
Ease of product distribution, negotiating best prices; all are a given if you’re one of the leading supermarket retailers. So introducing sub-brands seems like a win-win, if, of course you’re holding the retail-reins. But could it lead to consumer confusion – ’is this product made by Tesco’s or not’? And why would such a big brand name, hide its credentials behind ’Yoo’?
JR Little, Senior Consultant, The Brand Union:
“Tesco’s private-label launch of Yoo, a new yoghurt range, is great for the brand as it expands its private portfolio and allows for seemingly more product and price differentiation on shelf. It is less clear if the new private label product-line will benefit consumers as Yoo has yet to prove that it delivers the Tesco store’s brand promise: value for money.
If the new brand helps deliver the overall Tesco brand experience, consumers will likely embrace it. However, if Yoo replaces or decreases shelf space for a preferred branded product, consumers may push back and chose other non-Tesco related products or even worse, shop at another store.
When a brand promise is not delivered through the whole of the store experience, consumers feel that their needs are not being met and choose to take their patronage elsewhere. In the world of retail, the consumer is always right. In big box stores in America, like Walmart and Target, consumers have pushed back against the replacement of their preferred brand-name products by some private-label brands, especially in the areas of pharmacy, health and beauty. This private-label push back is why we have noticed an increase in corporate brand presence on front of branded products’ packs. If corporate names like Unilever and Kellogg’s can strengthen their reputation for certain categories, their portfolios of branded products will remain competitive with store brands, because customers will seek them out.
Ultimately, it’s up to the consumer to grab the item and examine the fine print on back, or front, of pack. However, branding as an art is about influencing perceptions and reputation. As long as Tesco delivers a healthy and good tasting yoghurt at a price point in-line with their value positioning, both consumers and Tesco will benefit.”
Press:
Pan Pacific Hotels Group launch refreshed Pan Pacific and PARKROYAL brands
Pan Pacific Hotels Group has unveiled ‘refreshed’ versions of its Pan Pacific and PARKROYAL brands following customer research into how its brands were perceived.
The group worked with brand specialists The Brand Union on refinements to the Pan Pacific and PARKROYAL brand logos, websites and marketing collateral.
The results of the rebranding will be communicated via a multi-platform advertising campaign starting this month. The campaign will include advertisements in top-tier local and regional print titles, in-flight channels, and online sites
“Brands today must connect with consumers. We spoke to guests in key markets to find out what they liked and wanted, and are excited to be unveiling refreshed brands for Pan Pacific and PARKROYAL, which will create deeper connections with the people that matter most to us – our guests, customers and associates. The refreshed brands bring to life our unique propositions and we invite guests to experience our revitalised brand promise,” said Patrick Imbardelli, president and CEO of Pan Pacific Hotels Group.
“The refreshed Pan Pacific and PARKROYAL propositions also allow us to achieve strategic objectives of strengthening our brands and ensuring consistency across our portfolio. At the same time, we have consciously chosen not to adopt a cookie-cutter approach. We know that our guests value unique and enriched experiences, and have thus allowed for flexibility in local application,” he added.
The group has five new properties in the pipeline, all of which will be the first hotels to feature all aspects of the refreshed brands. These are Pan Pacific Ningbo and Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Ningbo in China; PARKROYAL on Pickering in Singapore; and PARKROYAL Serviced Suites Green City, Shanghai, which are opening in 2012, as well as PARKROYAL Taihu Resort, Suzhou in China in 2014.
Press:
The Brand Union creates Art of Car
To adapt to changing customer needs, The Brand Union helped Al Hilal Bank extend their brand into auto sales and provide their customers with alternative and convenient ways of purchasing their dream vehicle.
Customers changing needs
In response to changing customer’s needs, The Brand Union helped Al Hilal Bank extend their brand into auto sales and provide their customers with alternative and convenient way of purchasing their dream vehicle.
Customer Journey
The customer journey, from walking in, to driving out, delivered against the bank’s brand promise of ‘it’s all about you’. The customer journey took you through an enjoyable and inspirational voyage that celebrates the car.
The Art
Unique and dynamic art pieces were displayed in the auto showroom which highlighted the inspirational art behind the car. This further delivered on the bank’s brand promise by encouraging customers to interact and spend time in the branch by creating environments that are inspiring and enjoyable.
‘The art pieces that were created for Al Hilal Bank’s Auto is an illustration of what cars mean to different people; what they love about cars, what inspires them about cars and what they see as a reflection of cars. These pieces of art were transformed into truly bright ideas, beautifully crafted and displayed in various shapes and forms in the Al Hilal Bank’s Auto Mall,’ says Matthew Laubscher, Executive Creative Director.
The Campaign
A communication campaign was created to promote Al Hilal auto sales and finance offering. The message centred on ‘Walk in, drive out’. Customers were invited to bring their documents, choose their car, process all forms and drive out, all in 60 minutes.
Following the opening, Al Hilal Bank also provided 0% down payment and 4% profit rate as an introductory offer to customers who bought their car during a four-day car festival event.
The Al Hilal Bank car showroom is located at the Al Sahel Towers, mall branch in Abu Dhabi.
News:
The Brand Union Jakarta to brand the World’s tallest mixed-use tower
05 August 2008
The Brand Union Jakarta starts work on World’s Tallest mixed-use tower in Jakarta.
The Brand Union Jakarta has been appointed to develop the brand for the soon to be the world’s tallest mixed-use tower at 558 meters, beating other global icons such as the CN tower in Canada, KL Tower, Shanghai Tower and many more.
“This project that is currently referred to as ‘Jakarta Tower’ will be the center of tomorrow’s lifestyle, and also a hub for information and communications technology. We believe that The Brand Union has the expertise and experience to create the best destination brand for the project”, said Jakarta Tower Project Director Roesdiman Soegiarso. The tower complex will mainly be occupied by ICT related businesses, but will also consist of convention centers, tourist attractions, museum, and shopping mall.
“We are extremely excited that we are awarded this project. As an Indonesian, I am proud to be part of the creation of this new destination brand that will create a new icon for Indonesia” said Daniel Surya, Country Director of The Brand Union Jakarta.
“The Brand Union Jakarta will be supported by The Brand Union Singapore in this project”, said Neil Hudspeth, CEO of The Brand Union in Asia Pacific, “as well as an advisory team from The Brand Union offices in cities with iconic buildings, such as Dubai, Paris, New York, Shanghai, and KL.”
“Jakarta Tower” is expected to be completed in 2011.
Press:
Simon Bolton on Breaking Into Russia
Author: Kate Belan, POPSOP.com
Featuring: Simon Bolton, Worldwide CEO
Simon Bolton talks to POPSOP about The Brand Union’s decision to open an office in Moscow in 2010, the company’s first permanent presence in the Russian market.
“We believe the Russian Market is critical for The Brand Union. We’ve set ourselves the task of being one of the major international branding providers in the key emerging or emerged markets such as Russia.
We are there for 2 main reasons. Firstly, because we have multinational clients who are operating in the country and second because we see Russia as being a rapidly developing market with great ambition to build international brands from this national platform.
We did a good deal of research before entering the market, whilst we considered acquisition as a strategy for immediate entry we could not find the right partner or capability so then concluded that it was best to build The Brand Union bottom up.”
News:
Brand USA Launches
November 7, 2011
The Brand Union, the WPP-owned brand strategy and design consultancy, today announced its role in designing the Brand USA identity, America’s first-ever global consumer brand. The agency worked in tandem with the United State’s Corporation for Travel Promotion, newly named Brand USA Inc., to create a new brand identity, name and logo. The identity was announced this morning during the World Travel Market – the leading global event for the travel industry – at London’s British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).
According to The Brand Union New York, the new design captures the spirit of the United States: Authentic. Optimistic. Unexpected. Inclusive. Endless Possibilities. It features an arrangement of dots joining together to compose the letters USA. The dots and their varied color scheme are meant to represent the diversity of people and experiences that can be found in the United States. To further emphasize that there is no single, definitive United States, the identity is not tied to a single palette and can be appear in a range of color schemes. The logo also displays the URL DiscoverAmerica.com, Brand USA’s official consumer website.
“The United States is a nation of opportunity – created more by the people that inhabit it than the physical country itself – and we wanted our brand to reflect this dynamic,” said Chris Perkins, Chief Marketing Officer of Brand USA Inc. “The Brand Union created a design and identity that embodies the optimism and energy of the United States, and also reflects the fact that there is no single identifier of the country – every visitor creates his or her own United States.”
Working with JWT, who will be launching a full advertising campaign in March of 2012, The Brand Union was challenged to create a new name and visual identity that would inspire foreign consumers to come visit the United States, ultimately helping to drive job creation and economic growth.
“In designing the identity we wanted to find a logo that was both aspirational and true to the heart of the country; the use of a percolating image encapsulates the energy and optimism that draws people to the United States,” added Wally Krantz, who led the brand identity initiative for The Brand Union New York.
The United States’ first-ever nationally coordinated tourism marketing program was created by the Travel Promotion Act, federal legislation passed in March 2010. A public-private partnership between the travel industry and the U.S. government, Brand USA Inc. was charged with increasing international visitation to the United States through marketing and promotional efforts to drive economic growth that creates jobs. The organization is led by private industry with oversight from the Department of Commerce and U.S. Congress. The program is funded through a combination of private sector investment and funds collected by the Department of Homeland Security from international visitors who visit the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. No U.S. taxpayer dollars are used to fund the program. Brand USA’s headquarters are located in Washington, DC.
News:
The Brand Union unveils new Argos identity
‘A brand for everyone’. Argos’ new brand identity and look and feel is designed to better reflect the family retailer’s appeal, modern approach to shopping and relevance to all its customers
Family retailer Argos is to reveal a new brand identity, set to roll out from January 2010. The new look & feel has been created by global agency The Brand Union to better reflect Argos’ appeal, modernise its look and retain the High Street stalwart’s relevance to all its customer segments.
Designed to reflect customer confidence in the brand going into the future, the refresh will incorporate store design, all printed materials, tone of voice, online and advertising applications, as well as Financial Services, and will be seen first on the new catalogue to be released on 23rd January.
Building on the brand’s 30-year heritage, the redesign reflects Argos’ desire to continue to appeal to a wide customer base, whilst projecting a greater sense of modernity, pride, energy and value with the new brand clothes.
Siobhan Fitzpatrick, head of brand marketing for Argos,explains: “We’ve strived to embody value, choice and convenience for over 30 years now and have built an extremely loyal customer base. We have a proud heritage of adapting to changing times and giving customers what they want. This brand refresh will enable us to give our customers and our employees a new brand identity which better reflects our dynamic and exciting business 70% of British households have an Argos catalogue at home, so unveiling the identity on the new catalogue is a fantastic way to celebrate and cement our position, while giving our brand a contemporary look that brings it up to date. Our customers told us that they want a brand that feels relevant today and is well equipped to stay relevant tomorrow. We’re confident that’s exactly what we, with The Brand Union, have delivered.”
Simon Bailey, UK CEO for The Brand Union, adds: “It was an honour to work with a brand of such impressive retail heritage. We recognised that Argos’ achievements and aspirations were somewhat removed from some of the brand perceptions out there, and the refresh will empower Argos to talk to new and existing audiences with a modern, friendly and confident look & feel.”
In their commitment to improving customer service, Argos actively involved their customers in shaping the identity. Early responses to the revised brand identity have been positive: “It says they’re not going anywhere, that they’re here to stay”.
Following the catalogue launch at the end of January, the new identity will be rolled out steadily over the next four years in a cost-effective phased approach. Argos services 130-million customers in-store each year, with an additional 4-million online and over the telephone.
Press:
SCOOT? Thoughts on SIA New Low-Cost Carrier
Published by: Karamjit Kaur, The Straits Times/Asia News Network
Featuring: Graham Hitchmough, Mangaing Director The Brand Union Singapore
SCOOT Airlines may well be the name of the new long-haul budget carrier that Singapore Airlines (SIA) is to launch by the middle of next year.
A Straits Times check found that New Aviation, SIA’s wholly owned subsidiary that will run the new entity, has registered “Scoot” as its trademark with the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore.
SIA spokesman Nicholas Ionides would neither confirm nor deny that Scoot is the chosen name for the carrier.
He said: “Several names have been under consideration, but the management of the new airline is not able to confirm details of the branding at this stage.”
SIA, which in May announced its plan to set up a new low-cost carrier to run long haul flights, said the new entity would be managed independently of its parent carrier.
Two months later, Mr Campbell Wilson, 40, who has been with the SIA Group’s local and overseas offices for more than 15 years, was unveiled as the new carrier’s chief executive officer.
Captain H.C. Rohan, deputy chief pilot of SIA’s Airbus 330 fleet, has been put in charge of flight operations.
The new airline will hire pilots from the market; cabin crew will be hired in Singapore and possibly elsewhere in Asia, and training will be provided, SIA said.
The new airline has also confirmed that it would start operations with a fleet of Boeing 777-200 aircraft, the first few of which will be acquired from its parent.
While SIA offers a high-end premium service, the new airline will be a no frills outfit.
This means that on top of the airfare, travellers will likely have to pay for food and drinks and other services and amenities.
Branding experts The Straits Times spoke to said that it is important for the airline to ensure a clear value proposition for consumers.
As for the name of the carrier, “Scoot Airlines” could work, said Mr Graham Hitchmough, managing director of The Brand Union Singapore.
He said: “It’s a name you would associate with a budget carrier- fun, friendly, spontaneous. I would imagine, from the name, that the airline, in terms of its service culture, would be a hit informal and approachable as well.
“The name also suggests that this is an airline that will be quick; it will be efficient and spontaneous, and it will get you where you want to go.”
He added that -whether deliberate or not -if the name is to be Scoot Airlines, it will also start with an S, like its parent carrier and the group’s regional arm, Silk-Air.
Associate Professor Prem Shamdasani of the National University of Singapore’s Business School described the name as interesting and easy to recall. But, he added, because the name was “fun and unconventional”, some may think this is not a serious airline, and that it may be unreliable.
For marketing executive Terence Lim, 32, who travels on both budget and full-service carriers, the name is not so important. He said: “For me, at the end of the day, a name is just a name. As a traveller, what I want from a budget airline are cheap fares and a basic level of service. Whether it is called Scoot Airlines or something else does not really bother me.
Press:
Unveiling “The Brand Union Bangkok”
“The Brand Union Bangkok” today announced its official presence in Thailand, bringing its worldwide experience and the “Brand Mastery” approach to help brands differentiate and succeed in this highly competitive market. Formerly known as Ogilvy Brands by Design, the agency will now be called “The Brand Union Bangkok” in line with “The Brand Union” a worldwide brand launched 2007. The company will become the 21st office within the global network of this leading brand building agency.
Simon Bolton, Worldwide CEO of The Brand Union, said “To our global commitment to become masters of the art and science of brand building, I am pleased to now add “The Brand Union Bangkok”. We love the art. We love the science. We love Thailand.” The Brand Union’s mission in Asia is to support international brands in their development in the region and, increasingly, to help brands from Asia take on the world. Alan Couldrey, CEO for Asia Pacific, added “Our brand mastery” is based on the fact that we love what we do – we find the world of brands, their challenges and opportunities, a truly compelling and rewarding field in which to work. We celebrate the “Joy of Branding in all we do.”
As a leading brand agency, “The Brand Union Bangkok” will master the art and science of crafting brand identities using its “Brand Mastery” approach to help brands grow. By creating a proper mix of strategic perspective and creative flair, the company helps brands engage with consumers of all kinds.
Dzovinar Bassil, Managing Director of The Brand Union Bangkok, commented, “What we do is partner with businesses to help them uncover insights and opportunities and define future strategies. We then help bring the brands to life through the creation of The Brand Worlds. In a world where choice is increasingly design-driven we have the ability
to build out from a bright idea into a compelling visual world.”
“The Brand Union Bangkok” currently has a balance between global and local client profiles. Among its global customers are Castrol, Ericsson, BP, Credit Suisse, SAB Miller, Vodafone and Motorola. Its local clients cover a wide range of industries from major industries to real estates, retail, banking and finance, consumer products and government, such as Thoresen Group, Mahaphant Group, PTT Chem, CP ALL, CPF, Monde Nissin, Raimon Land, CIMB THAI, SOUTHEAST INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL SERVICE GROUP, Singha Corporation, TCEB, and IKEA.
News:
The Brand Union South Africa win at Apex
The Brand Union Cape Town (previously Coley Porter Bell) was awarded a bronze Apex for La Capra in the launch category, and was an integral part of the Ogilvy South Africa team that won Silver for Castle at Thursday’s awards ceremony. This is the second year in a row that The Brand Union has won at Apex, and once again it is the only branding and design agency to win at the 2011 awards.
La Capra launched in 2010 into an already crowded wine market. Through design and strategic brand input we were able to assist them in a very successful first year. We created a compelling brand and brand story that worked hard on shelf, and we developed design that was cost efficient to produce. We also developed a brand endorsement by Fairview that allowed for the new mid-range wine to live comfortably with the premium Fairview range.
The results have been tremendous:
- The wines have been listed in the major retailers
- Sales have grown by up to 30% year on year
- No loss in sales of the Fairview premium wine
- The industry has been highly complementary of the brand and brand story
“We are extremely proud of this achievement in the work we did for La Capra and the measured return we were able to influence onto client’s bottom line” says Mathew Weiss, Strategy Director for The Brand Union. “As a company we focus on providing clients with a perfect mix of art and science in the design process. This is perfectly embodied by the judging criteria of APEX demonstrating both strategic and creative effectiveness”.
The silver award was given to Ogilvy South Africa for reviving sales of Castle Lager. The scope of work was quite diverse and the team working on this project included The Brand Union (previously Coley Porter Bell), Brand Activation, Ogilvy Cape Town, Ogilvy Johannesburg and Ogilvy PR.
News:
Rene De Paus Joins The Brand Union Jakarta
The Brand Union is delighted to announce the appointment of Rene de Paus as its new Business & Strategy Director for Indonesia. Mr. de Paus brings to his new role at The Brand Union Jakarta over 14 years of experience in various branding and marketing services fields, from event organizing to market consulting and was most recently Chief Brand Consultant for Fortune PR. He has worked on a wide range of prominent international and local brands, including the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism, Total E&P, The Body Shop and Vespa.
Mr. de Paus said “The Brand Union has a recent history of great work in Indonesia with brands as diverse as Telkom Indonesia and Sosro. I am very excited to join the team, as I have huge passion for the art and science of branding and am especially excited to be involved with local Indonesian brands preparing to compete in the world stage.”
Graham Hitchmough, The Brand Union’s Regional Director for ASEAN added, “We are delighted that Rene has agreed to join The Brand Union family and his appointment is a key part of our strategy in Southeast Asia. We want to create a new model for strategic branding and design in the region which combines the breadth and capability of a global network with the very best of local talent and insight. While also leveraging our partnership with Ogilvy in the region, we can provide a potent full-service offer for all brands committed to being part of Indonesia’s future growth and establishment on the world stage.”
Mr. De Paus starts his new role on 1st February 2012.
News:
The Brand Union Names New ASEAN Lead
The Brand Union Asia Pacific announces the promotion of Graham Hitchmough to the newly-created position of Regional Director, ASEAN.
Graham’s responsibilities include the continued stewardship of the growing Singapore office and immediate oversight of our Indonesia and Thailand offices. He will also be actively exploring further opportunities in Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Graham has been with The Brand Union for more than four years as both Client Director and, more recently, Managing Director. Under Graham’s leadership the Singapore business has grown 30% in the last two years and sets a standard for the region in terms of both creative output and business effectiveness having won awards for both in the last twelve months. Current clients include SGX (the Singapore Exchange), Syngenta, Coca-Cola, Pan Pacific Hotels Group and Kimberly Clark.
Simon Bolton, Worldwide CEO for The Brand Union, in Singapore for the Asia Pacific 2012 planning meetings, commented: “There is no greater pleasure in our business than seeing someone we like and trust take on a bigger role. Graham has proven just how successful he can be as a leader. Singapore is, in many ways, a model office for us — we look forward to seeing similar success across the rest of the region.”
Added Alan Couldrey, CEO for Asia Pacific: “Graham’s role is new and designed to help us realise our ambitious five- year plan for Asia Pacific. Our three key areas are China with Hong Kong, India, and ASEAN. With Graham’s appoint- ment we now have strong regional leads for each region.”
Graham commented, “Having lived and worked in ASEAN for 6 years, I am tremendously excited to be now focusing my efforts on marrying the ambitions of The Brand Union with those of the region. Everyone knows the prodigious growth potential of ASEAN but what excites me most is the way in which branding can not only help to accelerate economic development, but also celebrate the rich and diverse cultural and design heritage of ASEAN countries. I’m particularly looking to how our offices in Thailand and Indonesia can leverage the best in local strategy and design talent for the benefit of both international and domestic clients.”
News:
Sujata Keshavan One of Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Business
The Brand Union Bangalore’s founder Sujata Keshavan is named one of India’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business.
Fortune India magazine has this month named Sujata Keshavan as one of the top 50 Most Powerful Women in Business in the country. Sujata co-founded Ray + Keshavan in 1989 as India’s first brand design consultancy which became part of The Brand Union in 2006. Having developed some of India’s leading brands such as Airtel, Infosys andCanara Bank, Sujata is recognised as the spearheading the growth of the branding and design industry in South Asia.
Fortune’s list ranks women in business according to the influence they have had on their respective industry, and at number 18, Sujata Keshavan is recognised for the powerful effect she has had on the world of branding.
Press:
2011 Breakaway Brands Are Classic, Contemporary, Authentic
Published by: Christine Birkner, American Marketing Association
Featuring: Rob Scalea, CEO, The Brand Union New York
You might think that Facebook and Reese’s have little in common. The former is a modern, digital, network-based data powerhouse and the latter is a decades-old, peanut-butter-and- chocolate confectionary staple—likely Hershey’s biggest stake in many kids’ trick-or-treat bags.
But both brands made Landor’s Breakaway Brands of 2011 list because they mixed classic and contemporary values while “using basic branding principles to stay relevant and differentiated,” according to the study. The study, conducted by New York-based global brand consultancy Landor Associates, measured growth in brand strength from 2007 to 2010 for 2,500 brands in Young & Rubicam’s BrandAsset Valuator U.S. database, an ongoing brand strength and perception study that polls consumers quarterly, covers approximately 50,000 brands in 40 countries and has been running for nearly two decades. The top 10 brands on the 2011 Breakaway Brands list were, in order, Facebook, Skype, YouTube, Netflix, Samsung, Apple, iTunes, Amazon.com, Reese’s and National Guard….
The list is dominated by brands from the Internet and technology world such as Skype, YouTube and Facebook that the millennial generation (consumers ages 15 to 34) are particularly tuned into, but experts say so-called “modern” brands resonate across age groups because they also target boomers and GenXers effectively.
“There is an aspirational target audience for the brand, then there’s the real target audience for the brand. I think of Facebook and Skype and YouTube as being millennial brands, but … lots of people who are baby boomers and GenXers are users of those brands and part of the appeal for those people is that they’re contemporary brands targeted at millennials,” says Rob Scalea, CEO of North America at The Brand Union, a New York-based global brand agency.
A big part of authenticity is connecting your business strategy to your branding strategy, Scalea says. “These are all brands for which the business strategy is in lockstep with what the brand values themselves are. No matter how hard you want to present yourself as being cool and hip, if you don’t have the right products or you’re not meeting the needs of your customers, then the brand is not going to be sustainable no matter how creative you try to get.”
News:
Premier Award Win at the ISTD Awards
The Brand Union internally sponsored series of monthly talks to inspire and stimulate the creative juices of it’s team. Great names have spoken at this event including Fergus Henderson, Sir John Hegarty, Michael Wolff, Sir Martin Sorrell, Michael Peters, Mike Dempsey, Richard Seymour, Storm Thorgerson, John Torode, and Mary Lewis. These talks are announced through a poster campaign which we ask our talented designers to produce.
Richard Holt designed this poster for a talk by Storm Thorgerson and has won a Premier Award at the International Society of Typographic Designer’s Awards 2011.
The judge’s comment (Simon Dixon of Dixon Baxi) reads:
“The power is the bold simplicity of the application. The type highlights a signature motif in the work of Thorgerson in a very elegant and personal way. At first glance it’s visually arresting and rewards repeat viewings with its beautifully crafted technique. It was also one of the strongest print examples.”
Designer Richard Holt commented “This is the poster I designed a while back for a visiting talk by album cover design legend Storm Thorgerson, the man behind iconic covers such as Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’.
“A continuous ray of light carves out the letterforms as it interacts with a series of prisms, and the reflective print brings an optical colour spectrum effect in homage to Thorgerson’s legendary cover.”
News:
The Brand Union Launches New Office in The Middle East
The Brand Union Middle East has just announced the opening of its Doha office, on the back of a few major new business wins.
Speaking of the new presence in the territory, Simon Bolton, Worldwide CEO said “We’ve been looking for the right opportunity to expand into Qatar for a while. We’ve been in the Middle East since 2003 and were the first strategic branding agency to open an office in Abu Dhabi in March 2008. A couple of months ago we started working with a major player in Qatar whose global ambition has enabled us to take the leap and set up an office in Doha. Our ambition is for The Brand Union to become the board room advisor of choice with regards to strategic branding
in Qatar.”
The office will be headed up by Iain Webster, Executive Director, who has been in the region for eight years and joined The Brand Union Dubai as Client Service Director in January 2008. Prior to The Brand Union Iain was a Group Account Director at Saatchi & Saatchi Dubai. Iain is responsible for developing the key client relationship and is tasked with growing the
Qatar business.
Hermann Behrens, CEO Middle East commented “This is a very exciting opportunity to build a business in a country with real momentum. Qatar has cleverly identified a unique positioning for itself within the region by taking a lead in international relations and focusing on education. It has also promised to deliver a World Cup like no other in 2022.
We have moved into offices with great space in the centre of the business area on Suhaim Bin Hamad Street and we are excited at the opportunity to grow a team to complement our broader teams in Dubai and London.”
The Brand Union Middle East employs around 35 designers, consultants and client servicing personnel in its Dubai hub and offers strategic brand consultancy services to clients across the region and has developed the brands for leading companies and products including Al Rajhi Bank, Emaar’s Burj Khalifa, Mubadala, Invest AD, Madinat Jumeirah, and Abdul Latif Jameel, Nova Water, Kwality Ice-cream and many others.
News:
The Sophistication of Branding in Asia
The challenges to building brands in Asia are the same as elsewhere. “If you only ever tried to appeal to the consumer, you’re always going to have a constantly moving target. It’s really up to you to have a judgement, a point of view,” he said pointing out that research only brings an insight to changing fashions.
“When I did the first stage of my career development in Asia, nearly everything we ever did was through a Western filter of brand management, done on very prescriptive and formulaic versions of American or British style techniques,” said Simon Bolton, worldwide CEO of The Brand Union. “The rules have changed tremendously. There’s a better understanding of brand management principles in Asia now.”
Bolton was last based in Asia in 1998 and had spent 10 years in total building brands in India, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore in different stages.
There’s a greater appreciation that brands have to be marketed differently, and in bespoke ways, he said. Asian brands are making the world sit up and take notice. “We’re seeing that era of growth now. Twenty years ago, when you think Asian brands, you might think of Singapore Airlines or Tiger Beer, but the brand landscape is so multifaceted now, with so much competition regionally and internationally,” he said.
“One of the brands that I admire out here a lot out at the moment, one that I would peg for future growth is Airtel in India,” he said. ”The company is now under great pressure because of the successful launch of Vodafone in the country, but the technology upsurges and the improvements they’re making are very impressive. They moved into Africa by buying Zain, and it shows their ambition. People ask, when do brands become global players? I think this is a great example.”
“I think the view that Asians are focused on short-term returns rather than long-term branding strategy is outdated. That used to be the view, but not anymore,” he said.
“Generally things move faster in Asia. The pace of business is very fast out here. This doesn’t mean that long-term brand building is neglected – there are people who have great vision of how their businesses will develop and grow,” Bolton observed, citing Lenovo, Kingfisher and Air Asia as other Asian brands that are making waves internationally.
Although the principles of branding are not yet as well-defined in Asia, Bolton said that this is a very exciting time to be building brands here. “I think we’re seeing the script being written right now,” he said.
The challenges to building brands in Asia are the same as elsewhere. “If you only ever tried to appeal to the consumer, you’re always going to have a constantly moving target. It’s really up to you to have a judgement, a point of view,” he said pointing out that research only brings an insight to changing fashions.
“At the end of the day, we’ve got to try to create more longevity with some identifiers that stay absolutely relevant to your audience group – knowing that your competitors are going to always attack you, and that views and fashion are constantly changing. A point of view that rides above the research and that desire for change. Change is the only constant, yes, but change to adapt, and not just for the sake of change.”
Press:
Toby Southgate returns to the UK to head up London office
Global branding agency, The Brand Union, has appointed Toby Southgate to run the highly successful London office, overseeing a range of clients including Argos, Airtel, Reckitt Benckiser, Bird & Bird and Premiership Rugby. He will report directly to Worldwide Chief Executive Officer, Simon Bolton.
Southgate has been at The Brand Union for over three years and has an impressive track record, having previously led the set up of the company’s Abu Dhabi office, and overseen the business as Managing Director in Dubai for the Middle East region.
Most recently Southgate has been Managing Director and part of the senior management team running The Brand Union’s New York office, playing a significant role in developing the Reckitt Benckiser business. Working in partnership with UK Chairman, Dave Brown, he has also been building new relationships with Alberto Culver and Kraft.
He takes over from Simon Bailey, who is leaving The Brand Union to pursue a new European role in the industry. Bailey has been overseeing the London office since his appointment in 2008.
Prior to joining The Brand Union, Southgate worked for Marque Creative and NavyBlue. He has also been integral on branding and design work for clients as diverse as Royal Bank of Scotland, the London 2012 Olympic bid team and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Simon Bolton, Worldwide CEO of The Brand Union says: “Toby Southgate joins the London office with a wealth of global experience and knowledge and a hugely impressive track record. The office continues to prosper despite the continued economic climate; winning accolades for the work it is producing and advising some of the world’s biggest and most influential brands.
I’m immensely proud of the work Simon Bailey has put into the business and we wish him well in his future career. Equally I am excited to see Toby take the reins and push the agency further forward with his understanding of the broad opportunities in the digital world. In a short amount of time, I’m sure we will see him become a key figure in the UK branding and design industry. I look forward to partnering with Toby.”
Toby Southgate, incoming UK Managing Director of The Brand Union added; “It’s an exciting time for The Brand Union globally, as a branding and design agency with world class talent, strategic and creative thinking, in addition to an enviable client list. I’m thrilled to be moving back to the UK and look forward to working with the brilliant executive team in London that consists of a number of industry greats. I have every confidence that 2011 is going to be the best year yet.”
News:
JR Little on Abercrombie & Fitch vs. The Situation
Author: Neil Davey, MyCustomer.com
Featuring: JR Little, Senior Consultant, London
JR Little talks to Neil Davey about the controversial call by Abercrombie & Fitch to pay Jersey Shore reality TV star Michael ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino to stop wearing their clothes on the hit MTV show.
“Companies should avoid negative stories and bad press as much as possible, and in my opinion, A&F has acted in a way that might benefit ‘Jersey Shore’, yet damage its own reputation,” says JR Little, senior consultant at brand agency The Brand Union
Press:
Spikes Asia Launch SpikesAlso Photographic Competition Curated By John Clang
Published by: Campaign Asia
Featuring: Graham Hitchmough, Managing Director The Brand Union Singapore
Spikes Asia, the advertising and communications awards and festival for creative excellence in Asia-Pacific, in association with the global brand agency The Brand Union, is introducing SpikesAlso, a new project that will showcase the personal artistic skills and talent of the region’s creative community. This year the focus is on photography and the event is supported by Getty Images.”
Spikes Asia is inviting industry peers in advertising, media, design, digital, PR and clients to submit their personal photography, the best of which will be selected by renowned visual artist and photographer John Clang, and displayed in the heart of the Spikes festival itself. The top entrants stand to be offered the opportunity to become Getty Images contributors. In addition, the creative team from Getty Images will be on hand at the exhibition offering free portfolio reviews for participants.
“SpikesAlso will celebrate rediscovering everyday life as an art form and will provide a unique platform for those across the industry to showcase another side of their creative output,” says Myriam Coupard, Spikes Asia Festival Director.
The brief is very simple: there is always an untold story everywhere around you. You see them every day. If you don’t, look twice. Capture a moment that makes the mundane beautiful.
It is free to enter in SpikesAlso and those wishing to take part have from today until Monday 5 September to submit up to three photographs. Further information, full specifications and how to enter, can be found on www.spikes.asia/also/
“A good photograph is one that brings us face to face with our own existence. It pulls the stranger standing next to us into the intimate radius of our life. It collapses the beauty and strangeness around us into one,” comments John Clang who will curate the exhibition. “The commonplaces attract me. I resonate with subject matters closely related to my daily life,” he continued.
John Clang was born in Singapore in 1973 and lives and works in New York and Singapore. His work is exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide, including the Singapore Art Museum, which has acquired some of his artwork as part of their permanent collection.
Graham Hitchmough, Managing Director of The Brand Union Singapore, says, “The Brand Union is proud to be lead sponsor of the very first SpikesAlso event. As the foremost showcase of the region’s creative talent, Spikes provides a platform to share and celebrate every facet of our industry. SpikesAlso has been designed to extend this even further, by shining a light on the design and craft skills that are the lifeblood of what we do. This year our focus is on photography, with a competition curated by renowned Singaporean photographer John Clang and drawing on the regional expertise and network of our event partner, Getty Images. The competition is open to anyone who finds inspiration in the world around them and can capture this through the compelling medium of photography.”
The SpikesAlso photographic exhibition sponsored by The Brand Union and supported by Getty Images and Lumina, will be available for all delegates to view during the three days of the Festival, providing another level of creative inspiration.
Press:
Picking Brand Names in China Is a Business Itself
Published by: Michael Wines, The New York Times
Featuring: Monica Lee, Managing Director The Brand Union China
After a hard day’s labor, your average upscale Beijinger likes nothing more than to shuck his dress shoes for a pair of Enduring and Persevering, rev up his Precious Horse and head to the pub for a tall, frosty glass of Happiness Power.
Or, if he’s a teetotaler, a bottle of Tasty Fun.
To Westerners, that’s Nike, BMW, Heineken and Coca-Cola, respectively. And those who wish to snicker should feel free: the companies behind these names are laughing too — all the way to the bank.
More than many nations, China is a place where names are imbued with deep significance. Western companies looking to bring their products to China face a problem not unlike that of Chinese parents naming a baby boy: little Gang (“strong”) may be regarded quite differently than little Yun (“cloud”). Given that China’s market for consumer goods is growing by better than 13 percent annually — and luxury-goods sales by 25 percent — an off-key name could have serious financial consequences.
And so the art of picking a brand name that resonates with Chinese consumers is no longer an art. It has become a sort of science, with consultants, computer programs and linguistic analyses to ensure that what tickles a Mandarin ear does not grate on a Cantonese one.
“Do you want to translate your name, or come up with a Chinese brand?” said Monica Lee, the managing director of the Brand Union, a Beijing consultancy. “If you go for phonetic sounds, everyone knows where you are from — you’re immediately identified as a foreign brand.”…
To introduce Clear dandruff shampoo to young Chinese, who are already inundated with foreign brands, Ms. Lee’s firm decided to focus on the shampoo’s image. “It’s not about where this product comes from; it’s about the benefit it can bring to you,” she said. The ultimate choice, Qing Yang, combines the Chinese words for “clear” and for “flying,” or “scattering to the wind.”
“It’s very light, healthy and happy,” Ms. Lee said. “Think of hair in the air.”
“Clear” is one of a select number of Chinese words that carry unusually positive connotations, and that find their way into many brands’ names. Others include “le” and “xi,” or happy; “li,” meaning “strength” or “power”; “ma” or horse; and “fu,” translated as “lucky” or “auspicious.”
News:
The Brand Union Designs the First German Diversity Award
The inaugural German Diversity Award was presented for the first time at a gala event on November 14th. The award, originated from a partnership between Henkel, McKinsey & Company and economics magazine Wirtschaftswoche was presented to employers, entrepreneurs and innovative projects that are especially committed to establishing a culture of diversity. The award sculpture itself was developed by The Brand Union Hamburg.
The event, hosted by German TV presenter Schöneberger, took place in the Lange Foundation in Neuss (Düsseldorf). About 200 guests from the worlds of politics economics, culture and media attended the ceremony, which was supported by the Charta der Vielfalt initiative which promotes a working culture characterised by diversity.
“The challenge was to develop a design object that demonstrated the uniqueness of the award. We had the motivation to create the prize as an object that was diverse in itself” says Elke Pietsch, Consultant Director at The Brand Union. The result is a white varnished sphere, made up of four segments that represent each awarded category. And so, the idea of diversity about coming together is shown; four categories, four parts come together into one entity.
“We were thrilled to have the opportunity to develop the trophy for such an important award. As a creative agency we place great importance on diversity within our company culture too. Through the cooperation of varied, multi- cultural teams, from a range of backgrounds, the best and most creative solutions can emerge.” Says Dr. Alexander Schubert, CEO of The Brand Union Hamburg.
The aim of the award is to encourage the employers to develop effective and sustainable diversity practices as well as to reward those who make an outstanding contribution to the field. Awards were presented to brands such as Google, BASF and Ford as well as German Chancellor Angela Merkel who took home the award for ‘Diversity Personality of the Year’.
News:
The Brand Union launches The Footwall
In support of the biggest sporting event in the world, The Brand Union is inviting Football World Cup fans the world over to broadcast their elation and frustrations in real time on The Footwall. Live from sundown each night, tweet @thefootwall and get involved!
A new digital ambient marketing project launched at the start of the global football tournament, The Footwall features live tweets projected onto the four-story façade of the design agency’s Farringdon offices. Through Twitter, the social networking and microblogging service, the public are encouraged to participate and be a part of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Live from sundown every night, The Footwall captures the spirit of the football community with a live stream of tweets from the @thefootwall account. The feed features debate, comment, commentary and opinion on all the matches of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. An Official Supplier to England’s 2018 Bid Campaign and creator of the bid identity, The Brand Union works with a number of sports brands including The Premier League, Premier Rugby, Portsmouth FC, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, and more recently created Castrol’s 2010 FIFA World Cup sponsorship identity.
Says Simon Bolton, CEO for The Brand Union, “As an international company ourselves, this is an engaging way to show our support for the global tournament, close to the heart of our staff and many of our clients. And there’s no better way to connect the community than through a digital media such as Twitter”.
Adds Paul Wood, Account Director for The Brand Union, “It’s about relevance. Many companies use social media to be seen to be keeping up, but consumers are interested in relevance to create social currency. The Footwall is about uniting fans through the power that social media offers, giving them a voice. We’re in a creative industry – so let’s get creative!”
News:
The Brand Union Names Juan Tan as Creative Director, China
The Brand Union has appointed Mr. Juan Tan as Creative Director, China, a newly created position divided between Beijing and Shanghai. As the creative lead in China for The Brand Union, Tan will help set a new standard for creative work from the China network. In addition to leading the Unilever Food Solutions account, Tan will also focus on Chinese brands such as Gemdale Property, TIENS, CEIBS and SPD Bank.
A native of Malaysia who grew up speaking Mandarin, Tan has more than 16 years in the communications and design industry in SE Asia and China. He brings with him a strong visual design background, is a proven artist and designer in his own right, and has worked both above and below the line with a broad range of local and international clients in China.
Monica Lee, Managing Director of The Brand Union, China, said, “Juan has worked throughout the region and un- derstands how Asian and Chinese brands work. He is a natural nurturer of creative talent, and is a fun and inspiring creative leader. We are delighted that he is joining us to support our exciting business growth in China.”
“I’m thrilled to be working here with a strong group of creatives on a number of very interesting accounts. I was also very attracted to this position because of the focus it allows me to have on recruitment and developing talent. It’s not every day that an agency makes this an important component of a Creative Director’s role and that tells me the focus on people is real. We’re constantly on the lookout for the best in Asia for our team,” said Juan Tan, Creative Director, China, The Brand Union.
An immediate first task for Tan, together with The Brand Union Shanghai, will be to host the first Creative Council Asia meeting in China from 29 June to 1 July. More than 15 design and creative leads from across Asia Pacific will attend. And this forum is expected to help set a rallying cry for ever better creative output for the network.
Prior to joining The Brand Union, Tan was based in Shanghai as Executive Creative Director at TBWA\TEQUILA\China for six years where he led advertising, brand identity, and product design projects for clients such as Chivas, Absolut, adidas, Häagen-Dazs, Pernod Ricard, Siemens and Virgin Mobile. During this time he also served as Executive Creative Director for TBWA’s shopper marketing agency, INTEGER\, as well as at TBWA\Creativejuice, where Juan created retail and shopper marketing experiences.
Earlier Tan was Creative Director at TBWA\Jakarta from 1997–2004 and also worked as Creative Group Head at Bates Advertising, Indonesia from 1995–1997.
Tan is a frequent contributor to numerous Chinese design and branding publications, and loves to design furniture in his spare time.
His appointment is with immediate effect.
News:
The Brand Union Launches ‘Brand Talks’
The Brand Union is hosting its first ever ‘Brand Talks’ event at its London headquarters on Monday 13th February with an evening of discussion and debate on brand partnerships in sports. The invitation only event takes the form of a panel discussion featuring 92 times New Zealand All Blacks Rugby Captain – Sean Fitzpatrick, Vice President of Marketing Communications Consumer Marketing Europe for Sony – Ben Moore and CEO of The Brand Union UK & Ireland – Toby Southgate.
The evening, hosted by sports presenter Matt Lorenzo (Sky Sports, BBC, ITV, Channel Four, GMTV) takes place at The Brand Union’s Farringdon headquarters and will explore the ways in which strategic partnerships, sponsorship and alignments can add value to the reputation of a brand.
Speaking of the event, Laura Taylor, Worldwide Head of Marketing & Communications at The Brand Union said “This is the first time we’ve brought together leading figures from three connected industries to talk in such a way. The next few years on the sporting calendar are full of major global sports events and a lot of our clients and associates are looking at ways they can leverage this for their brands, so it’s the ideal time to have this discussion. Our panel also have years of experience in this field so the debate is going to be very insightful.”
Anyone not attending in person can get involved in the discussion through Twitter with the hashtag #BrandTalks. The Brand Union will be tweeting live from the event (follow @thebrandunion) and continuing the discussion online.
Brand Talks will be held on Monday 13th February from 6-9pm. To see the livefeed from the event follow @thebrandunion on Twitter
News:
"Diet Coke: Brand Message In A ‘Cottle‚’" for CMO.com by Richard Bates, North America CCO
Author: Richard Bates, North America CCO
“For consumers, emotional needs almost always trump practical benefits. Innovating within a category or responding to category trends can certainly drive growth for a consumer brand, but a broader view of societal trends and the consumer’s emotional needs can lead to bigger long-term growth. Understanding a product’s potential role in the evolution of cultural trends allows a brand to craft messaging and evolve product benefits in step with the evolution of the consumer and popular culture’s emotion-driven needs and desires.”
News:
The Brand Union creates new online banking brand Zuno
Raiffeisen International is to launch a new online banking brand, rolling out over the course of this year. The new brand, including name, identity and look & feel has a contemporary playful expression and has been created by The Brand Union to reflect the new bank’s proposition. Zuno is intended to attract the growing number of online consumers in the Central & Eastern European (CEE) region.
Designed to shake up the banking industry in this region, the new bank will target a growing set of customers who feel that visiting traditional bank branches wastes valuable time and are instead looking for an online bank that can offer all the traditional services through easy-to-use technology.
The launch of Zuno is the product of 18 months work which has encompassed brand strategy, customer segmentation, competitive positioning, naming, logo and brand guidelines.
Creating a new name for the bank was a key element of the project. After many creative sessions, supported by legal advice and cultural screening, the final name chosen by the team was the abstract but snappy ‘Zuno’.
Andras Hamori, CEO of Zuno explains the thinking behind the name: “Given the last few years turbulence in the financial markets, developing a new bank brand from scratch is a really unique event in the Central & Eastern Europe banking sector. For this challenging task, we decided to work with global branding agency, The Brand Union. We wanted a short, unconventional and distinctive name for our bank that is easy to remember and that fits in all key markets in the CEE region from a linguistic perspective. At the same time we opted for a name that will be ‘internet-friendly’ since the internet is going to be Zuno’s home. We’re really happy that together we have successfully created a brand that fulfils this brief.”
Zuno’s key commitment is to provide the best user experience in online bankin, and so the project team actively involved customers in shaping the proposition from an early stage. Initial responses to the banking concept helped shape the brand idea: ‘Zuno is for people who expect – and deserve – a better and brighter banking experience’, says Hamori.
Terry Tyrrell, Worldwide Chairman for The Brand Union, says: “It has been a privilege to work with the talented team at Raiffeisen International to create a new brand that is both unique and memorable across the CEE region. I am looking forward to seeing how customers respond to Zuno’s intuitive banking experience, as well as the warm and vibrant look & feel. I really think Zuno will be a creative and modern force that will set the standard for the online banking industry in this region.”
Attie Groom, Account Director for The Brand Union, adds: “The name Zuno was born as part of the year-long strategic and creative process we undertook. It is beautifully simple, yet has a freshness reflective of the bank’s personality that will set it apart from competitors. We are very proud to have played the guiding role in bringing Zuno to life.”
Following an internal launch to employees in June, the new brand will be rolled out at steadily over the next few years in a cost-effective, phased country-by-country approach.