Giving credit where it’s due

Client: CIFS Credit Indemnity & Financial Service

Brief: A brand refresh that grabs the attention of customers who use the corporate site as a log in portal, as well as attracting a new customer base by clarifying the CIFS offering.

Solution: We collated data on business failure rates and weaved them into the new brand approach through a series of illustrations and cleaner online user experiences.

An illustrative style was developed that merged infographics with clear, metaphorical messaging. By exploiting a limited blue colour palette CIFS now have an identity that flexes itself both through illustration and lifestyle photography.

It's orange and it's stomping time again!

The Client: Spurgeons Childcare

The Brief: Campaign for national fundraising day

The Solution: It's that time of year again and our team have been busying themselves away with creating the latest fab campaign for The Big Orange Stomp. And this year thanks to some great celeb support from our friend Aiden Davis, it's going really well. After a hectic day in Bimingham snaping young people and lot's of wellies things have come together for this years campaign: Wear Your Wellies and Stomp for Spurgeons. The ABA team have created a fun series of cameos springing around in wellies, that have adorned all campaign activities on and offline.

Check out the website and arrange you own fundraising event to raise money for a fab cause.

www.thebigorangestomp.com/

Presenting the great minds of Cranfield

The Client: Cranfield University

The Brief: Refresh School of Management Marketing Programme

The Solution: For more than 40 years Cranfield School of Management has been helping people learn and succeed by transforming knowledge into action. With a huge choice available to it's audience our design team set about creating a logical structure that was both flexible and vibrant. The results are a really attractive series of communications based around a set of illustrations by Rory Muldoon. Each one illuminating a lesson or golden nugget learned from the the great minds at Cranfield.

Job vacancy; Digital project manager/marketer wanted

ABA is a creative branding agency. We work with clients to create, re-create, re-fresh and build their brands. We then move on to work on their entire brand touch-points. Inevitably this includes their on-line presence. This could be their website, social media, as well as their digital marketing.

The job on offer is a digital project manager/marketer. The job entails project managing website build projects, as well as working with clients to maximise their web presence once up and running. This might entail implementing ppc campaigns, creation of landing pages, establishing and maintaining social media presence.

We are looking for an enthusiastic problem solver. 

A competent technical marketer.

Someone who gets a buzz out of getting a website high up on Google ratings. 

Someone who can read Google analytics and know what action to take as a result of reading them.

Someone who built web pages in their spare time when they were at university.

For you, the internet is not a black hole of complexity, but something to be conquered.

You naturally read technical books/blogs/social media groups to stay ahead of technology.

You will be working alongside a group of young creatives and (not so young) strategists. There is great career opportunity for such a successful person.

ABA has recently been through the Cranfield Business Growth Programme, and we are ambitious and focused. We have a new 3 year plan. It is a great time to join us!

We are looking for a graduate with a couple of years commercial experience. In exceptional cases, we may consider a fresh-out-of-uni graduate.

If you are reading this, and you know just the person, a friend, your kid, your cousin, whoever – please forward this link to them.

For a full job description – please email Maike@aba-design.co.uk

Branding can literally save lives!

Oasis South Africa are the proud owners of their newly branded bus... 

In Cosmo City, South Africa, there are loads of unlicensed taxis. This makes the licensed taxi drivers mad and as a result they drive around on the lookout for those operating without a licence. Not too long ago the Oasis bus was unmarked and the drivers' lives were in genuine danger for driving what looked very much like an unlicensed taxi. But now that the new logo is branded on the side they can finally drive around in safety.

The new branding is making a difference in ways we could never have imagined!

Putting our heads together

The Client: Sedus Stoll

The Brief: Maximise Sedus's impact at Clerkenwell Design week.

The Solution: knowing that Clerkenwell Design Week would be attended by a huge number of interior designers/architects, we set out to develop a campaign that would speak directly to that audience. After scrutinising Sedus's own research, we developed a concept that graphically drew attention to the way Sedus work without reverting to the cold product precision selling that has become the industry standard.

The Think Sedus campaign began with an email blast, followed up by a printed mailer invitating our chosen audience to Sedus's showroom during the design week. Upon arriving at the Sedus showroom guests were greeted to an array of Think Sedus heads installed and mounted throughout the showroom space.

Think Sedus

Over the past few weeks we have been beavering away on a little campaign for our friends at Sedus. The result of a lovely trip to meet the German office furniture designers and saturating ourselves in their fantastic manufacturing process is 'Think Sedus'.

Think Sedus presents another side to this high end workplace solutions business, it reflects on the passion alongside the precision in their engineering and the stories that enable them to keep there workforce motivated, look after the environment and produce stunning furniture.

Think Sedus will be the theme for this years Clerkenwell Design Show where you can pop in, have a cream tea and a chat – discover a little bit more about what's in the mind of Sedus. Here's a little preview...

thinksedus.com
clerkenwelldesignweek.com

What's really going on in the Middle East?

Client: SAT-7

The Brief: Back in February we case-studied the beginning of our Wazala brief, developing a product to distribute resources to UK audiences, educating and informing about the Middle East and North Africa. 

Today we’re proud to announce the launch of the website www.wazala.org.  

This unique product could not have arrived at a more appropriate time with our T.V. and newspapers broadcasting daily updates from the Middle East. 

The Solution: Our graphics team worked to develop a bold and bright design, mixing geographical shapes with Middle Eastern patterns to create a fresh and exciting look for a region clothed in conflict. Creating both online and offline materials, the bulk of the project involved the development of the Wazala website; a fully content managed site complete with social media integration. 

Further deliverables include online banner ads, an HTML email template, exhibition banners and marketing postcards.

   

A kind quote from our client:

"A HUGE thanks to you for your hard work co-ordinating this project! I am so pleased with the final product.”

Our walls are made of paper...

Client: Novae plc.

 

Brief: Refresh the interior office space of the Novae HQ to reflect the recent brand development by the ABA brand team.

Solution: Our interiors team took the paper sculptures developed with Jeff Nishinaka and the ABA brand team, then used them as central features in the Novae offices. They sourced furniture that reflected Novae’s modern and sophisticated professionalism and also appeals to their visitors and clients. In the process of refurbishment they were able to use furniture they had sourced for Novae six years ago, proving the quality of our suppliers. As a result of the refurbishment the new brand has been imbued throughout the offices. They found intuitive ways of reclaiming negative space creating more much needed meeting areas.

 

Being refreshed at Oasis

Client: Oasis Trust UK and International

Brief: To bring the brand in line with the organisations integration strategy

Solution: It is essential that Oasis present a consistent brand image, even though their projects are sometimes very different. They needed their brand identity to reflect the fact that they are one family and have one brand and should have one visual identity. The project included; brand audit, brand workshops, brand architecture strategy, naming and full implementation. This all came together with a creative few months from the brand and interiors teams at ABA.

We’ve articulated ‘windows of opportunity’ that run through the brand representing energy and passion. These windows are not like the fleeting opportunities that rush by each day. Windows of opportunity seek out and tell the stories of Oasis. On every piece you will see a window of opportunity, it can be customised with photography and illustration.

Oasis Ident from ABA-design on Vimeo.

The brand refresh delivered a worldwide printed material and documents guideline, digital guidelines, 10 Oasis Academies full interiors brand strategy guideline and digital signage. The creatives teams have then been involved in implementing the brand across the UK.

Olympic Table as seen on The One Show

Client: Olympic Delivery Authority

Brief: Design a permanent map to be installed on the Olympic hospitality and viewing roof terrace, overlooking the Olympic park, used to host dignitaries and press engagements.

Solution: Our task was to visually represent the grandeur of the future Olympic Park, our final solution would also have to work with the modern branding, reflect the vision and sophistication of the plans and the quality of the materialising venues.

We designed a curved table that pulls the viewer into the park, providing current and future views. We're proud that we were able to represent a lot of information clearly and beautiful; fit for the inspection of the most regal dignitary or critical inspector.

Wazala campaign to launch in the UK

The client: SAT-7

The brief: to develop a product to distribute resources to uk audiences, educating and informing about the Middle East.

The solution: After our Arabic naming exercise, Wazala was chosen as best fit both for it's phonetics and it's translation - 'to connect'. Mixing geographical shapes with Middle Eastern pattern, Wazala's identity sprung from the need to create something fresh and exciting that would still resonate with older UK audiences.

7 day wonder

Client: A Major Pharmaceutical

The brief: The client digital team had an opportunity to talk to their senior management team on a hot new topic. They had 1 week to produce a teaser that would spark interest.

The Solution:  Up until now the digital team had been using 'tech' speak so ABA designers got to work on creating an engaging name and the right messaging platform. Factory IT is the industry term and with a slight twist the acronym FIT leads nicely into the benefits. The teams have a limited amount of time and space to present so the FIT swatch provides an easy elevator pitch prompt and can then be slipped into a suit jacket pocket.

A kind quote from our client:
"The design is really excellent and the messages have really caught the essence of what we are trying to portray. They certainly will allow us to WOW our senior management. Also unbelievable turnaround in a week"

Back to the whiteboard

Client: Acco Brands, Nobo Europe

The brief: A two phased project.

Phase 1 was a piece of consultancy to work with Acco to help them move Nobo from a price-driven commodity to a whiteboard brand of preference. This involved considerably shifting Nobo's proposition and creative execution.

Phase 2 was to develop the a new website that reflects this new positioning, helping Nobo continue as category leader.

The Solution:  For a long time ‘Nobo’ has been synonymous with the white board ("Where is the Nobo board?"), and for good reason.  They have a strong range of innovative products and as both product designers through to distribution they have an almost unique position.

As with all brands you can not relax with a category leadership position, and Acco knew that they have to fight to maintain this position, as young new upstarts come onto the scene.

We recognised that Nobo needed to shift their focus away from the technology products and back to the consumer interests. We also moved away from ‘functional technology’ brand to better reflect a brand that has creativity, personality and professionalism.

We’re confident that the new website which you can see here and the new marketing materials will ensure that Nobo continues to popularly lead their category.

As always, it was encouraging to hear back from the client....

Steve Keen, Acco. 'I want to thank you for all of your help in achieving the fab Nobo site, the end result looks great – so much nearer the vision we had when you started this journey with us.'

Simon Tempest, Acco. 'It looks great... everyone's really impressed.'

We look forward to working  with Acco on their next brand.

Yellow Pages wins awards

We are really proud that our compact redesign of the Yellow Pages won two awards at the Data Publishers Association Awards 2010

They are – Consumer Outstanding Achievement of the Year and Consumer Product Development of the Year.

And here is our new compact Yellow Pages featured on this promo by Rapier.

The best business card I have ever seen!

Client: Make It Happen

Brief: Design a business card

Solution: Tell the story of what 'it' is, in a narrative that reflects the way Make It Happen go about their business with energy and passion.

So why is this the best business card ever seen? Well that was Peter Mandelson's reaction when it was placed in his hand recently, so thanks Peter and how about we now do yours!

Phonetic Naming

Experimenting with some phonetic names for possible to new project, turned up some interesting creative. Thanks to all those who know Arabic a lot better than us for your help.

Paper possibilities

We are still amazed by the genius of Jeff Nishinaka – what one man can produce from just paper! Here's a couple recent close up's from the Novae city scape and justice scape.

The work will feature across a Novae company wide re brand including a new website and a new office interior space that ABA Interiors and Architecture team are working on.

1966 to 2010

The Brief: Design the cover and directory elements of the new Yellow Pages.

The Solution: Brighton, 1966 and the very first Yellow Page is launched. Our challenge was to evolve the Yellow Pages directory into it's new phase of life. Yellow and the walking fingers form one of the most recognised* UK brands.



ABA design team set about linking the content of the new book from cover to cover with a clear design grid and structure throughout all the directory elements. Here's Phil our client in the Yell library!

*In the 2010 104 editions of Yellow Pages went through the letterboxes of over 27 million homes and businesses in the UK.

Info Graphics

Client: Johnson & Johnson

The brief: To work with the J & J compliance team to improve communications to their marketing teams and external web agencies.

The Solution: A really creative and engaging info-graphics route was chosen that showed the facts and figures in a striking visual way. There is also a narrative between two graphic shapes which lead you through the compliance journey, helping bring to life compliance issues that had been previously ignored. With a little help from Z-Cards we produced a pocket size piece that communicated the bare facts. The style has also been rolled out across a suite of presentation products.