We were delighted to win a 5-way pitch to rebrand the Trust and it’s nine heritage properties. We really needed to go on a steep learning curve on the history of Birmingham and get under the skin of what made Birmingham great. We uncovered a city with a rich heritage of industry, invention and innovation with characters such as industrialist Matthew Boulton at the heart of the cities heritage.

 

It was a revolutionary coin that was designed and manufactured by Matthew Boulton that formed the main Trust identity as it epitomised the core brand essence of industry and invention.

 

The roundel design was carried through the rest of the nine museum identities to create a family feel to the brand whilst also giving each museum its own personality so they could operate independently. Each icon, typography and colour scheme were meticulously researched to ensure they were relevant to the history of each property.

 

The colour palette and typography were also steeped in the history of the city. Baskerville was chosen as the primary font because John Baskerville had his printing works there during the 1700s and designed the Baskerville typeface in 1757. We also introduced supporting handwriting fonts due to the fact that Birmingham has been at the centre of the pen trade since the 19th century. The colour palette was taken from the vibrant colours used by the pre raphaelites given that Birmingham boasts the largest civic collection in the UK.

 

The result is a brand that is relevant and embedded in the history of Britains 2nd largest city whilst being modern, contemporary and above all understandable to todays consumer.