The rebranding of Octopus Group, an integrated B2B marketing agency, to coincide with its Publicis Groupe UK acquisition.
In re-branding, we looked to modernise and create a smarter, refined marketing agency brand. This was the second update of the brand I led in 2020 – the first in 2017. Prior to the initial rebrand, the agency’s proposition, brand messaging, tone of voice, and visual identity had never properly been defined, and lacked any distinct direction.
We held a number of creative workshops with stakeholders to establish brand tone and direction, from proposition to messaging and tone of voice, establishing Octopus Group's position within the UK agency market. The identity was developed over a number of months, across everything from logomark and website, to office decor. Given the brand would essentially be used – and therefore managed – by a number of people across the business rather than a centralised marketing department, the overall brand aesthetic was kept simple, focussing on distinct stripped-back typography, minimal colour palette, and a single wave motif.
Core to the initial brand were video idents using materials changing from one state to another over time – powder, latex, ice, oil – representing Octopus Group's ability to work with its clients to bring elements together as a single, unified whole. These were updated in 2020 to reference objects you might find in and around a home, bringing them closer to the ‘Home of Brand to Sales' messaging.
Visual exploration, 3D experimentation, 36 Days of Type, & various side projects