Rebranding the backbone of a region
with Yorkshire Water
Creative Direction, Design, Copywriting | Given Agency
After winning the competitive pitch back in January 2019, we started working with Yorkshire Water on developing a new brand purpose, vision and values and a new brand identity that will cover all bases (apart from modifying their logo). The brief was to take this new purpose and translate it to a modern, dynamic and ownable brand identity that truly embodied their ambition, “We put people at the heart of everything we do”.
I led the creative team in exploring exploring the visual and verbal identity that captured the spirit of the organisation, honest, human and with a sense of humour. A wide-ranging brand, from livery to bills, brand ads to reservoir signage, meant that the brand had to balance flexibility and consistency.
Establishing the building blocks of the new brand.
With 1700 employees, we needed a typeface that was accessible, but also easy to install and use for all employees.
We chose Poppins, a google font renown for its friendly, confident design and its accessibility. We then created a colour palette that spoke about the Yorkshire landscape, making use of a modern, digital-first blue that will set them apart of a sea of corporate blues in the industry.
A distinctive graphic system that worked still and in motion. Going back to basics basics we created a series of abstract shapes related to water as an element and used them to create meaning through their use. Going back to basics basics we created a series of abstract shapes related to water as an element and used them to create meaning through their use.
The goal was for these shapes to stand on their own (when used with photography or copywriting) but also build up in layers. to create simple illustrations that will bring humanity to the new brand.
Aligning to the new brand purpose, we created a photography philosophy that was human-first. Real people and the real Yorkshire. From up-close and personal shots, to the Yorkshire I see, we built a flexible system.
Storytelling being a big part of this new brand, we wrote guidelines around how to to layer photography to tell compelling stories.
