In 2004, the Barcelona-based environmental consultancy society Societat Orgànica came to us with a visual communications project to spearhead their promotion of sustainability in construction. The company wanted a brand that would gain recognition for their mission to increase the use of organic and renewable materials in construction, while also improving market share within that sector.

Working Metodology

In order to design the brand of Societat Orgànica, the organization was first investigated in depth. From its vision of environmental issues and the specifics of construction, to its growth strategy as a company; from its reality and its potential to its aims as a group of professionals dreaming of a better future.

Images were uncovered relating to SO’s actions toward creating a unique message, distinct from its competition but integrated with the philosophy of the sector.

Aligning this material with existing and outstanding attributes from their market reality, an image was interpreted and suggested that helped capture a scene from the life of SO. This allowed for the creation and definition of a consensus regarding their position, understood by all to be optimal for the study.

Subsequently, four brand options were presented, all expressing this position, but narrating distinct ideas through their visual identity. One of them formed the parallelism that can be seen between organic plant growth and ideal urban planification. This was materialized in the shape of the veins of a leaf that resemble the plan of a group of houses. Of the four, it was this proposal that was the selected.

Consequently, the institutional color was adjusted, the brand was programmed onto the web to give it life and interactivity, and the implementation of the identity was applied to stationery, brochures and other promotional material.

Results

As a result of the work done by Guerrini Island, SO was able to improve their market presence and gain new clients, not only in Spain, but also, through its newly designed site, worldwide. Also, in collaboration with Guerrini Island and related companies, SO was able to launch Ecomaterial, a book and exhibition used to promote sustainable construction methods to global clientele. Today, SO is considered a leading architectural firm and environmental consultancy society with growing sales and increased annual profits.

When contracted to design the brand of Victoria Hall in Ireland in 2005, we sought to profoundly understand the expectations of our client, both materially and personally, so as to create a lasting visual representation for the establishment. A new brand was required in order to assist the transformation of the historic building from parochial house to a modern restaurant. It also sought to attract new clients to the restaurant while at the same time adding to the feel of a familiar environment for existing customers.

The design sought to combine such elements as the history and feel of the restaurant and the nature of the clients that were to frequent the establishment in order to create an image to speak its identity

Working Metodology

Once the background investigation had been thoroughly completed, we listened to the ideas and vision that the owner Keith Nolan had in mind. Additional interviews were carried out with important customers and associates of the restaurant in order to gain further insight into the best possible brand for the restaurant. Upon completing this research, we created 3 distinctly crafted designs that interpreted the total strategic description of the restaurant.

Once the most harmonious and lasting design had been agreed upon, we incorporated the image into the key communicational channels of the business such as the menu, business cards and Flash web form to fully bring the company identity to life. The image was also mounted and framed to be used as an artistic center piece above the fireplace of the restaurant.

Results

The brand was warmly received by both new and regular customers alike and today is still used as the restaurant brand. Victoria Hall successfully completed its transformation to become a popular international cuisine restaurant that attracts large numbers of both local clients and customers from further afield. Owner Keith Nolan went on to recommend Guerrini Island to numerous business contemporaries, such as Carrick-on-Shannon Golf Club and Caldra House, who have also had their brands designed by Guerini Island.

As a leading and award winning exporter of agricultural products across Argentina and throughout South America, Los Grobo was referred to us with the mission of producing and managing their visual identity including brand creation, advertisement campaigning, web design and promotional material (brochures, annual reports, stationery, business cards and letter heads). The Group’s brand was to be designed with the purpose of achieving a clear distinction of the company in the agribusiness market and to reflect, from its presence, the current state of the company.

Thus, the visual identity was required to express, by means of clear graphic referents, the particularity, flexibility, power and approach of the company. The new brand would simultaneously be an assurance of the quality of the products and services offered by the company.

Working Metodology

In designing the brand for Los Grobo, following extensive and personal research, the system of visual identity was based on three variables: first of all, the yellow/orange color typical of cereals and oleaginous products which is the central atmospheric color of the company’s current activity. Second, we included the name “Los Grobo”, which portrays visually the solidity and stability of the name with a modern and dynamic cut. Last, we included the most important element of the system: a symbol that reflects in an abstract way the company spirit.

The expected interpretation of this symbol, on the part of the spectator, was to be revealed through activities related to the agribusiness. Thus, associations with the sun, sunflowers, the blade of a plow, equipment or the point of meeting, arose spontaneously, which allowed us to obtain a visually attractive point of relation and integration.

Furthermore, the indigenous style of the symbol was inspired by Tehuelches paintings in the region of La Pampa, the company’s region of origin. This aspect sought to portray the sense of roots, anchorage and commitment of the family who owns the company to the region.

Results

Ultimately, a graphically impressive symbol managed to identify the company with simplicity and visual attraction. The brand was applied to numerous promotional material including on the side of all company silos in the country, giving a sense of the totality, territoriality, amplitude of subjects and magnitude of “Los Grobo” (see picture). The brand was also applied to the company website in both static and Flash form in order to give it vitality and accessibility and today still stands as the center piece of all Los Grobo visual communication including advertising, official documentation and promotional material.

As a consequence, Los Grobo greatly improved its visual presence both locally and globally and has achieved outstanding and consistent growth in a market where image differentiation is a key factor. What’s more, its 2008 annual report, designed by Guerrini Island, won the Readership Group Award, from the Global Reporting Initiative in The Netherlands as well as being awarded special recognition by the United Nation’s Global Compact Office.

Enfoque: La conferencia aportará a quien desee trabajar con imágenes e identidades, un enfoque interdisciplinario que cruzará cuestiones psicológicas, antropológicas y sociológicas, sumadas a técnicas de acción propias de la comunicación, el marketing, la política e incluso del arte.

Entrada libre y gratuita. Inscripción en:

http://www.ucema.edu.ar/conferencias/?s=cys2010&d=15_Seminarios_de_Negocios#ed6271