Gardners is a large format digital printer based in Cardiff with an international client base that includes Tesco, JCDecaux, BP and Microsoft. A beta test site for HP, Gardners is one of the most forward thinking manufacturers in the print sector, continually pushing the boundaries of technology to create new approaches within the industry. Following a sustained period of growth, Gardners recognised a need for change in order to remain credible in the eyes of their clients, stay ahead of the competition and ensure their brand matched up to the expertise they can deliver.
We proposed taking Gardners through our Brand Blueprint process to really get under the skin of their business so that any design work would be based in meaning. This would provide us with the necessary insight to create a new visual identity that correctly communicated the Gardners brand.
Result
Richard Gardner, Managing Director and Chairman of Gardners comments: "I am extremely proud of our new brand identity. We feel the restyled Gardners "g" and colour palette chosen by Stills better reflect the position and influence Gardners has within our industry. The branding exercise has been valuable and exciting for all those concerned and has made us look very closely at our operation and how we are perceived in the marketplace. We are using all the information generated from this project to improve internal and external communication, our service levels and our perception within the industry. I would particularly like to thank Stills who identified precisely Gardners’ unique characteristics."
The new identity created a buzz among the Gardners staff who were excited by a change that represented the innovation and passion within the company. The new website has been well received by suppliers and clients, prompting referrals to Stills.
Solution
The Gardners Brand Blueprint sets out the vision, principles, values, positioning and personality of the company. It crystallises the Gardners proposition and allows them to move forward with direction. Along with the brand guidelines, the Brand Blueprint allows the brand to be easily disseminated to staff to ensure understanding and buy in.
Gardners was keen to retain the ‘g’ that had always formed part of their identity so we set out to make this ‘g’ more contemporary in order to communicate the forward thinking, innovation and intelligence that is synonymous with the organisation.
The visual identity was developed in a suite of colours as a bold way to represent the capabilities of Gardners as a printer. The new identity can be found on the website we designed and built, business cards, stationery, factory graphics and t-shirts that make up the staff uniform.
