Objective Rebranding
Founded in 1995, Objective is a Brazilian multinational with over 450 employees that operates in the technology market through software development, consulting services, and training.
In 2020, Objective celebrated its 25-year history, and to commemorate this milestone, the Design team was tasked with creating a new communication strategy that truly represented the essence of the company.
As a Graphic Designer, my challenges revolved around effectively communicating the company's new message and visual identity while maintaining a strong connection to its existing brand.
I have omitted confidential information from this case study to comply with my confidentiality agreement. I translated the texts on the screens from Portuguese to English for reference.
The project
The challenge faced in this project was to modernize the brand and commemorate the company's 25th anniversary. The Design team spearheaded the creative execution, while the Marketing department formulated the communication strategy. By leveraging the expertise of both teams, we embarked on a process that involved conducting interviews with employees and board members, incorporating their insights and perspectives.
Brand persona
A brand persona serves as a personification of a company, representing its goals, desired image, and value proposition.
In order to make the brand distinctive and establish its unique tone of voice, we developed a brand persona that played a crucial role in guiding the new communication strategy.
Throughout this process, we conducted interviews with multiple employees to gain insights and define the characteristics that best encapsulated the company's essence.
The image depicts Objective's brand persona, highlighting its objectives, needs, personal attributes, references, and tone of voice.
Based on the information gathered in the interviews, I created mood boards that visually represented the essence of Objective.
Technology
The brand persona is deeply involved in the world of technology, which greatly influences their preferences for movies, games, and even their professional career.
Transformation
The brand persona perceives technology as a symbol of freedom and transformative power. Moreover, the words "innovation" and "evolution" precisely capture the significant moment that the company underwent during the rebranding process.
Modern
The brand persona is characterized as original, possessing a casual personality and an informal tone. However, it also recognizes the importance of being formal and technical when necessary.
Communication analysis
Before initiating the rebranding process, I conducted an analysis of the previous communication and identified several key points:
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Legibility issues: The previous brand faced challenges with legibility when used in smaller sizes. This impacted its visibility and effectiveness in various contexts.
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Insufficient graphic elements: The absence of graphic elements in the compositions resulted in a lack of visual interest. Introducing and exploring visual components would enhance the overall attractiveness of the communication.
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Color palette expansion: Expanding the existing color palette was deemed crucial to provide more flexibility and open up additional possibilities in communication. A wider range of colors would allow for more expressive and diverse visual representations.
Rebranding
Branding is a complex process that extends beyond the creation of a logo or symbol. It involves developing a unique personality for the company, which is expressed through various elements such as typography, logo, symbol, colors, illustrations, graphics, and prints, all of which reflect its identity.
Typography
To align with Objective's essence, my goal was to incorporate contemporary elements into the new brand. I opted for rounded fonts with a modern design, selecting the Mont font family for primary text and the Poppins typography for secondary text. These choices were made to convey a sense of modernity and readability while maintaining a cohesive and visually appealing brand identity.
The Mont Heavy font is used as the primary font, while the Poppins font serves as the secondary font in the branding.
Logo and symbol
I designed striking symbols that establish a connection with the previous Objective logo by retaining the letter O with a cutout. Additionally, I incorporated an element associated with technology and software development, namely the pixel. The pixel, being a fundamental unit of digital images found in monitors, smartphones, and TV screens, can be utilized in various graphic materials and illustrations.
To enhance a more geometric representation and emulate the appearance of multiple pixels forming the logo, I made adjustments to the kerning and spacing in the typography.
The image showcases the previous logo, featuring a condensed font in black and orange colors. In contrast, the new logo is displayed, characterized by a rounded font and dark gray and orange colors.
The video below provides a clearer understanding of the elements and geometric composition.
Our interviews revealed that many employees commonly abbreviated Objective to "Obj" for easier writing and recognition. Taking this insight into consideration, I made the decision to create a shortened version of the logo that aligns with the company's informal language and enhances visibility when used as avatars or when displayed alongside other brands.
The image displays the previous shortened logo, represented by the letter "O" with a diagonal cut. Following that is the new shortened version, represented by the abbreviation "Obj."
Graphic elements
In the previous branding, only two colors, black and orange, were used. To expand creative possibilities, I have introduced shades of gray to complement the official colors.
Another area of improvement was the creation of various elements to enrich the graphic materials while considering the brand's attributes: transformation, technology, and modernity. Building upon the letter "O" with a cutout and the pixel, I developed geometric shapes that were subsequently transformed into illustrations and patterns. Additionally, I incorporated relevant elements from the persona's universe, such as games and movies, to further enhance the visual language.
The image showcases various graphic materials associated with Objective, including an album and stickers that highlight products and significant milestones in the company's history. Additionally, it features the company's Instagram timeline, reflecting its updated visual identity.
Branding guidelines
To support the visual identity, I created a brand book that defines Objective's positioning and communication elements. The brand book covers various topics, including:
About the company
This section provides an overview of Objective, detailing its history, purpose, values, slogan, and tone of voice.
Logo
This topic showcases the primary and secondary versions of the brand logo, the abbreviation form, protected area guidelines, reductions, and usage restrictions.
Brand elements
This chapter encompasses primary and secondary colors, typography guidelines, style for images and illustrations, graphics, and icons.
The brand book serves as a comprehensive reference guide, allowing anyone to easily understand and adhere to our brand standards and usage rules.
The image showcases several pages of Objective's brand book, highlighting various brand guidelines, including logo usage, color scheme, and typography.
Launching Objective's new brand
Objective's new brand was launched in October 2020 through an online celebration with a broadcast on YouTube, coinciding with the company's 25th anniversary.
During the event, we delved into the company's history and future plans, paid tribute to exceptional employees, organized team competitions, and sent snack kits and gifts to more than 450 employees to enjoy during the online event.
Customized items featuring the new visual identity include a t-shirt, notebook, cup, bottle, and snacks.