The brief: Re-vitalization of a brand icon.
The context: The heads of European branding/corporate design powerhouse dmcgroup were no longer happy with their old corporate DMC “beast” icon. Creative director Cordelia Craigie guided me through this makeover.
What I did: My challenge on this project was to add impact & elegance, a slightly prouder and stronger appearance, reduce bits and parts and to give it a more balanced body posture.
Branding & concept: dmcgroup
The brief: Modernization of Norwegian brand key visual.
The context: “Vossafar” is a true traditional “nordisk” meat product and a brand with history, dating back to 1937. In order to modernize the previously used illustration (based on the fairytale figure “Huldra”) branding experts from GRID/Oslo asked me to provide a more playful, feminine and friendly version.
What I did: My main challenge was the allover reduction of details in the traditional folk-costume called “Vossabunad”, as well as to adjust her body posture in a balanced way to match with the redesigned Vossafar typeface. Another must was to tone down the shapes and curves of her very special hairdo.
The brief: Full re-vitalization of a traditional chocolate brand key visual.
The context: The Sarotti brand is full of history, dating back to the year 1852. Generations of kids grew up with this brand icon, which changed its appearance various times over the past decades. Over the years, the so called “Sarotti negro” in all its various shapes and sizes became sought after collectors items. Yet, growing concerns about the ethnic insensitivity of such outdated brand icon usage were issued. In order to distancing from any association with the previous ethnic background of the older icon versions, the new racial neutral brand figure was renamed “The magician”. Owner and manufacturer company Stollwerk commissioned the overdue brand re-vitalization in 2004, including the optimization of all package designs for a vast range of different chocolate products.
What I did: Challenge for my redraw was to maintain the friendly & open gesture and body posture of the little boy figure, while slightly modernizing the look, maintaining the recognizability of the icon. In order to add a more playful and poetic note, it was decided to get rid of the flag and to add some magic stardust.
Concept & branding: Peter Schmidt Group BBDO
The brief: Crest illustration for on-pack use.
The context: London based brand experts Jones Knowles Ritchie asked me to do some explorations on a traditional crest illustration for the relaunch of the biscuit brand Carr`s.
What I did: We started with some icon ideas based on various familiar landmarks from the Carlisle area. Instead of further use of the Royal warrant of appointment, it was decided to use the shield with dragon crest, referring to Carr`s brand designation of origin, the City of Carlise in Scotland.
The brief: Deliver Welsh FA players illustrations for FIFA World Cup Qualifiers campaign.
The context: London based brand identity specialists Designroom Sport have created the very successfull „Together stronger“ campaign for the Welsh FA in 2014. Aimed to „revolutionise the perception of the Welsh football“ and to deliver the look and feel of a genuine, individual campaign that resonates with the team, the media as well as with the fans and the Welsh FA. This work, which builds on the theme of togetherness, then required a new design and style for the launch of the FIFA WORLD CUP 2018 qualifiers campaign. With Russia as a host country, a rather bold, propaganda poster- inspired style language was the idea and starting point, when the creative director approached me with this project.
What I did: Based on the given design language, I created detailed but simplified portraits and full body figures of a dozen of the most prominent FAW players, in full players gear. The players appear in limited solid colors, drawn in defiant poses, creating a true essence of pride and cameraderie. My main challenge have been to get each players individual resemblence of their faces right. Accompanied by a constant uncertainty, if groomed beards and certain manbun hairstyles are still up to date, always fact checking by using current players photos.
Each players portrait illustration then had to be implemented on seven varied body poses, each delivered as one single vector image in order to give the design team unlimited freedom to embed and regroup all team members, according to their concepts and final layout designs.
The brief: Identity icons for the various independent museum heritage properties under the roof of the Birmingham Museums Trust.
The context: In 2014, creative brand experts LedgardJepson managed the whole rebranding of the Birmingham Museums Trust, the largest independent charitable trust of museums in the UK. It operates nine museums across the city of Birmingham, first opened in 1885. It is housed in a Grade II listed city centre landmark building. Beside the worlds largest civic collection of Pre- Raphaelite paintings, the museum shows Birminghams vast history of industry and invention. There are over 40 galleries to explore that display art, applied art, social history, archaeology and ethnography.
What I did: I was asked to create a family of illustrated key visuals for each of the separate houses. Each of them contains it`s own symbol, as a reference to it`s unique history and heritage.
The brief: To create a portrait illustration of Belgian bakery founder Edouard DeBeukelaer.
The context: Griesson – de Beukelaer is one of Europe’s leading companies in the sweet and savoury baked goods market and manufactures at various locations in Germany. DeBeukelaer’s well-established brands include, among many others, Griesson and the iconic Prinzen Rolle.The company, founded by Edouard DeBeukelaer in 1870, has 2100 employees and wants to make people all over the world happy with traditional specialities and brand new, innovative products. Hamburg based brand experts KloseDetering, longtime branding- and packaging collaborators for this brand, were suggesting to bring back the face of the company founder into the packaging context, but not by using an old photography.
What I did: As a starter, I received various portrait references in black and white from the archives, showing Edouard DeBeukelaer with a long beard, wearing glasses and looking straight into the camera. I needed some development rounds in order to get his characteristics right, to re-shape his beard, his clothing details and to fix his sort of friendly seriousness. The portrait helps to connect with the brand’s heritage and to communicate it’s designation of origin.
The brief: To create a Cricket brand identity visual.
The context: In 2017, the Pakistan OPI Sports DMCC, in partnership with the UAEmirates Cricket league, founded a new cricket league franchise addition to theelite global cricket landscape. UK based specialist Designroom Sport called me toexplore and craft the iconic UAET20X brand visual.
What I did: My challenge was all about shaping the UAET20X letter elements in a slightly elegant, arabic styled flow, in order to emphasize the dynamic, young and joyful spirit of this event. Main goal was to add uniqueness and value to the brand,in helping it to stand out.
The brief: To create an Anker & Chain icon.
The context: König Pilsener has traditionally ranked as one of the first premium German beer brands, established 1911 in the city of Duisburg, in the Ruhr area. The Hamburg based brand agency justblue signed responsible for the latest logo rejuvenation, packaging redesign and relaunch campaign.
What I did: For years, the main key visual element of the König Pilsener brand has been the golden crown on the red circle. The crown always represented the highest quality character of the beer. In order to add a reference of origin and tradition, I was asked to craft a classic Anker illustration to be combined with the existing crown icon. The Anker stands as a symbol of the inland harbor of Duisburg, the down-to-earth nature of the Ruhr area and the pragmatism of its people. My challenge was to create the Anker & chain icon to work well with the aesthetics of the golden crown element.
The brief: Redrawing of the iconic NW roundel.
The context: London based creative brand strategists Mellor&Smith were commissioned by the UK network of Neighbourhood Watch to re-vitalize the brand icon and corporate identity. The old version of the iconic roundel illustration, containing a family of citizens and a bobby, has been labeled outdated, not well crafted and uncompetitive for further use.
What I did: My challenge, in order to give the roundel icon a face lift, was to make it look fresher, more contemporary while remaining completely recognizable. The new icon has been launched successfully in 2016.
Branding & concept: Mellor&Smith
