Brand clarity first. Brand design second.
- Brand clarity: Brand workshops, brand identity plans, brand story development, positioning strategy.
- Brand design: Logos, business cards, stationery, signage, etc.
- Naming: Name development, positioning tagline development, functional descriptor development.
It is an inevitable truth that known brands will be chosen ahead of those that are unknown. It is also a fact that every action your company makes in the public domain either adds to or detracts from your brand.
A brand is the personification of the company and your company’s marketing should match its brand identity. Once an existing brand’s DNA is defined or a new brand’s identity is established and the strategy is known, the logo or visual identity can be developed.
Evolve looks at what needs to be communicated rather than what’s liked – and sometimes there’s a big difference. Branding is about defining how we want people to perceive your product or company, then infusing it with personality and meaning to help it achieve prominence in the marketplace.
“There is great advantage in a name that tells a story.
Often the right name is an advertisement in itself.”
– Claude Hopkins (1866-1932), U.S. advertising pioneer
Some examples of our work…
Dirty Business: Dirty Business Launderers is a commercial laundry business established by a very smart MBA executive. He spotted a niche in supplying commercial laundry services to aged care operators and built a thriving business. We created the brand name Dirty Business and tagline “We Love To Launder”, and designed a uniquely distinctive logo that infuses common laundry symbols with a fun personality that plays on gangsterism and money laundering.
Accelerated Planning Technique: Inspired by a powerful planning process used by NASA to put man on the moon, and simplified by Andrew Smith into the ‘user-friendly’ Accelerated Planning Technique over the last 25 years. Hence our new tagline: “Inspired by NASA… The world’s simplest planning method.”
Alertus: Keyholder Directories came to us needing a full makeover for their new direction. We developed the brand name Alertis, later modified to Alertus, the functional descriptor “Emergency Contact System” and tagline “When no-one knows how to find you, we do!” all of which helps to instantly position the brand in consumers’ minds.
Apartmento Contemporary Furniture: Apartmento’s new logo reflects the clean design of their contemporary furniture. We added the tagline, “furniture > APARTMENTO < a simple contemporary aesthetic” to instantly position them in consumers’ minds.
Blackhawk: Blackhawk specialises in GPS-based vehicle tracking and security. They wanted to upgrade their original logo to a professional design but retain their corporate blue colour. Rather than featuring a complete hawk like before, we focused on the most distinctive element for the brand symbol, and developed a tagline that communicated their big promise.
Comply Guy: In 2012 this start-up business needed a name, logo and tagline. They test and tag electrical appliances to ensure compliance with electrical standards. We created a strong persona with the name Comply Guy to leave room for future expansion, and a logo featuring a super-hero compliance guy. In 2018 we updated the logo and developed a new tagline to support their new, wider range of services.
Crackerjack Kids: We changed the name from Words On Ltd to Crackerjack Kids and, reflecting their focus on toddler brain development, conceived the tagline “Bright ideas to ignite young minds!” This theme carries through to the light bulb in the logo and the playful eyes peeping out of the letters.
Hone Heke Lodge: Kerikeri Backpackers’ new owners wanted a marketing programme in 2004. Located in Hone Heke Rd, we took the opportunity to rebrand them as Hone Heke Lodge, designed a logo featuring a caricature of the legendary Maori chief Hone Heke running away from a chopped down flagpole, gave them the tagline, “Legendary Accommodation”, and wrote a short story celebrating the legend of the great chief Hone Heke, which appears throughout their marketing collateral. It’s since changed ownership twice but we still work them to this day!
Interno: Interior Developments Ltd, a cabinet making company, wanted to penetrate the high-end residential market. We changed their name to Interno and designed a new logo inspired by Italian design. Interno has gone on to work on some of the most prestigious projects in Auckland.
Mount Michael Wines: Mount Michael Wines previously had no logo. We developed the MM mnemonic device, cleverly symbolising both Mount Michael and the Pisa mountain range below which they lie, and integrated it into a sophisticated logo that reflects the quality of their Pinot Noir.
Oktillion: Our brief for this start-up chartered accountancy business was to strongly differentiate it from the usual conservative accountant approach. Octillion is a cardinal number equal to 10 to the power of 27. That’s a lot of numbers to crunch!
Saturn Portfolio: Saturn Portfolio was previously Broadview Financial Management. We designed a new logo and tagline to go with their new name.
Stand Up & Shout: Alastair Ferguson is a published author. We created a logo that captured the feeling people get when exposed to his huge energy, and expanded it with the tagline, “Inspiration to pursue your dreams with passion and vigour.”
Techtorium: Previously named New Zealand Institute of Information Technology (NZIIT), they were up against NZITI, ITTI, ICA, ICL, AUT and all the other ‘initialitis’ institutes. We rebranded them as Techtorium (technical+auditorium). Much more memorable!
Tigernet: Tiger Networks is an IT support company renowned for its fast service, hence our tagline “rapid IT support” and the logo which featured a leaping tiger with a trail of pixels in its wake.
TradeTech: TradeTech New Zealand’s old logo had served them well but it wasn’t going to help them progress. The LED font and diode were yesterday’s technology, and TradeTech was anything but. The logo we designed for them featured a printed circuit board map of New Zealand and a new tagline that instantly positions what they do.
