We help brands grow.

We offer direction.
We protect brands
against economic and
cultural elements.
We want The Brand Union to be
synonymous with building long-term
brand value for our clients.
In all disciplines, Brand Mastery is
at the centre of our new approach.
Brand Mastery is the day-to-day
practice of applying our skills and
expertise to the brands we are
working with.
We believe that Brand Mastery
can only be achieved through the
application of art and science.
In fact, it is the carefully constructed
mix of creativity and science-based
commercial rigour that differentiates
The Brand Union.
Part science, part art. Knowing the
measure of each in the building of a
brand is the key to mastery.
We recognise that there is often a
tension between art and science,
however, our experience shows it is Over 500 strategists,
through such a dynamic that great researchers and designers.
brands are crafted and built. 21 offices serving every
major market.
We admire companies that see
everything they do as brand; that Over 35 years of brand
see the power of brand-driven building experience.
business growth.
WPP’s global brand agency.
The Brand Union
Abu Dhabi
Bangalore
Beijing
Cairo
Dubai
Dublin
Hamburg
Hong Kong
Jakarta
Johannesburg
London
Madrid
Miami
New York
Paris
San Francisco
Shanghai
Singapore
Stockholm
Tokyo
 RESEARCH DESIGN ENGAGEMENT
RESEARCH Brand audit Brand world: Employee insight
We help businesses and diagnostics
uncover market,
Competitive analysis Corporate design
stakeholder and Internal
Insight research Packaging design
customer insights. communications
Opportunities and Brand naming
Leadership
insight report
Brand identity engagement and
team diagnostics
Brand guidelines
STRATEGY DESIGN STRATEGY Behavior change
We bring brands to life
Brand communications
We help business Brand positioning
to define the future through brand identity, and collateral Organisational
of a brand, both product branding, brand Brand model development
existing and new. environment, corporate Information design
branding and digital. Value proposition Measurement
Brand language
Brand and product Brand environments
innovation EVALUATION
Live events
Brand architecture Measurement,
Interactive design assessment
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We believe that brands are an In a world where choice is
organisation’s most important asset. increasingly design-driven we have
the ability to build out from a bright
Because, in the words of Hector Liang, idea into a compelling visual world.
‘Buildings age and become dilapidated.
Machines wear out. People die. But
great brands live on’.
They live on because their heart is an
Edison-like bright idea.
Truly bright ideas radiate with such
intensity that they are capable
of guiding a company, inspiring
employees and creating a compelling
destination for customers. The very
brightest ideas can change the world
around them for the better.
At The Brand Union we aspire to be
masters of the art and science of
building such ideas. That’s how we’ve
managed to build some of the world’s
most enduring and valuable brands.
thebrandunion.com/casestudy/vodafone
As Vodafone’s global brand guardian, we have responsibility
for making sure all Vodafone’s communications and activities
enhance the value of the brand. Highlights include creating
the logo, the visual and verbal tone of voice, new handset
packaging, HQ environments and internal communications
that engage all staff with the brand.
In this work we bring all our disciplines to bear, including
corporate identity, branded language, staff engagement,
environments, retail, information design, packaging, digital
design and sponsorship. The one thing that unites all
our work is a passion for the Vodafone brand and a deep
understanding of its customers around the world.
Our redesigned bill for Vodafone UK has become a benchmark
for the industry. Going out to 3.2 million customers every
month, the design added a much needed brand element to
a core consumer touch point, as well as introducing simple
messages and summaries. The flexibility of the bill means it
can adapt to ever-changing usage patterns and technological
innovations. Its development involved people at every level
of Vodafone, from credit control and IT to brand
management, all of whom had an interest in this vital
communication medium. Our solution generated phenomenal
production savings of over 35%, as well as creating a great
customer reaction.
thebrandunion.com/casestudy/cullyandsully
Sometimes, the truth behind a great brand has a very simple
beginning. When Cullen Allen and Colum O’Sullivan asked us
for advice on how to create a brand identity and pack design
for their range of chilled ready meals, we found out that they
were known to their friends as Cully and Sully. During the
naming process, the two founders were eventually persuaded
that their fun-loving, youthful, quirky personalities and their
passion for good food were the best foundation for creating a
unique brand. The Cully and Sully brand presents a genuine,
friendly and informal voice to consumers, whilst their brandmark
reflects their serious attitude towards authentic food.
TV 18 and its associate companies had all achieved success, an energetic visual language to express what was great
expanding into new media and partnering with companies about the organisation and the people that worked there.
like CNBC, CNN and Viacom. But there was little awareness The renamed Network 18 is now a recognised force in global
of the scale of the group that owned them all. We developed media - a whole even greater than the sum of its parts.
 The original design of this iconic brand by Hans Brindfors,
now Creative Director of our Stockholm office, has reinvented
itself continuously, always staying true to the core idea.
Many creative contributions continue to add to the brand’s
richness, gaining enormous design recognition across the
world, with the bottle always being the hero. From sketchings
on the bottle to the little medallion depicting L.O. Smith
(the godfather of Absolut) this brand has become one of our
most published pieces. What we didn’t know then but learned
a few years ago was that the location where we created the
Absolut bottle in ’78 was actually the flat where L.O. Smith
lived circa 100 years earlier. It must have been the spirit of
Absolut in that house!

Pilsner Urquell – the worlds first golden beer that gave
its name to a whole new style of beer – Pilsner. One of
SABMiller’s flagship brands, it is famous throughout the
world for its unique flavour and superior quality. We have a
long and on-going relationship helping to direct and protect
Pilsner Urquell. From the brand proposition ‘Discover the
way beer is meant to taste’, we redesigned the brand identity
and packaging, we also created brand experience toolkits
to bring the brand to life at point of sale. As befits such a
unique, premium brand, our work required real craftsmanship
and attention to detail. From the tactility of the glass bottle
embossment to the quality of the paper label, every aspect
of our work aims to deliver a superior brand experience to the
discerning beer drinker.
 Inspired by the idea ‘cut to the chase’, the visual identity for visual system, including guidelines and templates,
RBS Global Banking & Markets, is straightforward and direct working closely with the client team across its many
in feel with a fresh and human character, in line with the RBS international markets, to ensure the roll-out of the new
Group philosophy ‘Make it happen’. We developed the entire identity went smoothly.

When many firms thought it right to sell off their consultancy position based on the breadth and depth of the Deloitte offer.
business, Deloitte saw the opportunity to ‘break from the pack’, The definitive nature and completeness of the new proposition
retaining the skill as a core competence. We recognised the was brought to life and symbolised by the simple yet highly
significance of the decision, developing a differentiating brand distinctive full stop, positioned at the end of the name.
Diageo owns some of the most well-known spirit brands in
the world, including Johnnie Walker, the world’s best-selling
whisky. We have worked with Johnnie Walker for many years,
successfully redesigning packaging for its portfolio of blended
whiskies, including Johnnie Walker Blue, Red, Gold and
Black Label. For the 1805 Anniversary limited edition of Blue
Label, made from a special manufacture of 1805 glass, we
crafted a replica writing case housing an engraved bottle, an
inventory of the estate and effects of John Walker. The case
is completed with a reprinted book of Alexander Walker’s
original recipe book and an antique fountain pen which we
individually selected from local antique shops.
Peroni forms an essential part of the portfolio of SABMiller.
It is seen as the quality standard for Italian beer - and the
company’s ambition was to extend its reputation worldwide.
Our thorough research in the markets Peroni needed to
reach helped us to guide Peroni Nastro Azzurro to the right
positioning, drawing on its fine natural ingredients, Italian
character, and unique brewing process. Not just the labelling,
but all communications and promotions reflect the effortless,
classic, Italian elements of the brand while expressing a
fresh, contemporary feel.
thebrandunion.com/casestudy/jcom
J:COM, the biggest cable communication company in Japan,
needed to establish their brand firmly in TV consumers’ minds
before diversifying into other channels such as internet and
mobile. Our approach to J:COM’s new identity needed to be
relevant to current customers’ experience, while offering the
flexibility to extend to new offers in the future. Using the theme
of face-to-face communication, we took the J:COM colon as
a key part of the system to show connection between people
and also the convergence of communication technologies. We
took this approach across all J:COM’s touch points, including
TV branding materials. For TV, we created an animated logo,
‘Bloom’, in a hyper-real 3D animation style, showing the
organic lifecycle of flowers from seeds to blossoming.
The seeds evolved into the colon in the J:COM logo.
U:go
We also created ‘U:go’ as the brand character,
expressing J:COM’s world of knowledge, curiosity
and fun - exactly what J:COM customers wanted as
subscribers to its services.
LIMITLESS SHFLSM

In Dubai, a new property development company is launched
every three weeks. Limitless was entering a tough market,
where gaining credibility to attract contracts needed both
local and international recognition. We created a brand
strategy for ‘delivering distinction’, communicating through
a sophisticated visual language the Limitless qualities of
inspiration balanced with practicality. The identity drew
on master planning sketches, showing attention to detail
through the use of carefully-chosen materials that focused
on quality of execution and finish with a slightly ‘retro’ feel.
Limitless has now taken the brand we created beyond Dubai
into emerging markets such as Vietnam and China.

As consumers’ desire to customise their technology grows,
the product packaging needs to stand out and align with
the target market. This compelling idea – design-your-own
iPod stickers – needed an identity that was energetic and
intriguing. By taking as one of our cues the identity of the
iPod itself the product needs little introduction.
Renaming the brand – from ‘Shufflesome’ to ‘Shflsm’, tied
in with trends in youth communication as well as helpfully
shortening the name to aid recognition. To emphasise
continuity, we connected the letters in the name and drew
this theme out into the logo. The three arrows, emerging
from the centre and pointing back in again, communicate
energy – as well as linking to key design elements on
the iPod. The resulting brand identity is fresh, young,
technological, and dynamic.
 KIWI

Right Guard was the fifth strongest brand in the UK
deodorant market, as competitors started to encroach
on their territory, Henkel, approached us to relaunch and
reinvigorate the brand, restructuring the entire range and
increasing its shelf appeal. We knew the Right Guard brand
had power – so building on this we developed a stronger
brand message based on multi-faceted masculinity, strength,
effectiveness and freshness. While keeping the brand name
prominent across the whole range, we developed packaging
to differentiate five product families and appeal to their
target groups.

Kiwi is the world’s leading brand of shoe polish and is sold in
nearly 200 countries. As category leader, Kiwi needed to set
standards in bringing about market change. By defining and
anticipating a new approach to brand communications through
visual and verbal language, inspired by fashion and cosmetics,
and identifying shoes as real fashion accessories, we were
able to produce a pack design which appealed to female
consumers who take pride in their appearance. Using an
illustration of the female silhouette as the core element, a
cross-brand graphic identity was produced, thus seducing
the consumer with distinctive sector visuals symbolising
femininity and beauty.
LEXUS

thebrandunion.com/casestudy/lexus

To launch premium car brand Lexus in South Africa, Toyota
approached us to develop luxurious showroom surroundings
from which to sell their range. These dealerships had to
express the unique Lexus characteristics of class and
sophistication, reinforcing the brand’s personality, ‘L-finesse’,
in the minds of consumers through every touch point. Through
using an L-shaped layout, portico and furniture, and specifying
superior finishes, we made the intangible essence become
tangible. Local artworks and indigenous plants and materials
blended with Japanese touches to create a world-class,
luxury feel that was connected to its roots but still had local
relevance. Our attention to detail has transformed choosing a
car into an arresting multisensory experience.

thebrandunion.com/casestudy/gooh

Gooh! is a new Swedish fast food concept set up by the
owners of a gourmet restaurant and a farmers’ cooperative.
It provides good, healthy fast food at reasonable prices.
Working with Gooh! across all disciplines, we had to make
sure that the founders’ enthusiasm for good food came
across and the brand’s identity primed customers to expect
delicious, healthy food. Presentation of the food itself was the
key to success: we let the ingredients speak for themselves,
confining the packs to a simple, clear label and either a black
or white backing, depending on whether the food was classic
or contemporary.
As part of the historical Opera House of Stockholm,
Operakällaren provides the highest level of culinary
excellence. Our assignment was not only to modernise and
renew the classic Operakällaren identity, it also included
the mission to create an identity for the new bar concept
(Verandan) and tie it to that of the restaurant. The holistic
approach to the creative solution allowed the two offers to
be distinct in their design yet stand side by side in harmony.
Since the change to the new identity, Operakällaren has
experienced a new type of guest and increased the number of
visits among their regulars.
ADCH was created to preserve and promote the rich culture
of the people of the United Arab Emirates - and to appeal
particularly to young people. Part of our challenge was to
find a theme that would express the compelling truth behind
Abu Dhabi - a complex and intriguing combination of many
cultures, people, traditions, and icons - in one powerful
symbol. Crafted through loose, expressive strokes, the
new symbol is modern in impact while referring to years of
craftsmanship, expression and interpretation. The Director
General of ADCH, Mohamed Khalaf al Mazrouei, pronounced
it ‘a work of art’.
Malibu, managed by Pernod Ricard, is the number-one selling
Caribbean Rum with natural coconut flavour. In 2006, we
began a series of strategic innovations to refresh and raise
the premium profile of the brand and its product range.
The Brand Union team updated Malibu’s iconic white bottle
and highlighted flavours with vibrant bands of colour on the
neck. To increase premium and authenticity cues, the agency
added new elements to the bottle’s sleeve and refined the
Malibu typeface and palm tree illustration in the logo.
Malibu’s new packaging launch included point-of-sale
materials: shippers, case cards and displays, shelf talkers,
glassware, bottle glorifiers, and permanent displays –
all highlighting the new Malibu look-and-feel.

NationsBank’s acquisition of Bank of America meant that a
new industry giant needed a name and identity - one that
reflected both the status of the new brand and the unrivalled
range of its offer. Our research pointed to Bank of America as
the best name to act as a foundation for the transformation.
Visually, we placed at the heart of the brand a powerful new
Nedbank is one of South Africa’s ‘Big Five’ banks and has relevant and accessible to South Africa’s evolving and
operations in seven other countries. We have a long-standing broader demographic. Our latest work has been to adapt its
relationship with the bank, including transforming its image on-campus branches for students, delivering a fresh vibrant
from an exclusive, Euro-centric bank to one that is more experience for the brand and its consumers.
Bank of America
Chairman & CEO
logo: the banner expresses the arrival of a new force, and a
colourful landscape symbolises the rich possibilities of the
brand to its audiences. Thousands of signs, printed materials,
ads and electronic communications were revealed in a single
day - a gutsy approach which has stood the test of time.
To become a true global brand, Credit Suisse in 2005 launched
a one bank/one brand strategy. Against the consensus of
the day, we discovered the name Credit Suisse had a strong
unifying effect internally and a high degree of relevance
externally. The bank’s fragmented culture was further aligned
through the brand idea that reconciled the bank’s heritage
with its pioneering spirit. The dual nature of the idea
inspired a new visual identity, including a new brandmark,
combining an elegant typographic style with a more
expressive sail-like symbol.
thebrandunion.com/casestudy/premier league
The Premier League organises, manages and promotes the
world’s best and most watched domestic football league. It is
also responsible for developing the competition’s commercial
aspects and working with others it reinvests in the future of
English football. We developed the central idea ‘The best of
football’ and evolved both the corporate and competition
brand identities to encapsulate not only the excellence
in skill displayed on the field, but also the excellence in
professionalism and commitment demonstrated off it.
In crafting the relaunch of premium beer brand Club
Colombia, our ambition was to take the brand to the status
of a national icon. Tapping into elements of local culture and
identity brought the newly created essence alive. Immersion
in the Colombian culture and heritage revealed the ‘tunjo’
- the traditional symbol of the ancient Muisca people of the
highlands of Colombia, renowned craftsmen and highly skilled
goldsmiths. With this as a core element, supported by a
nationally-relevant gold and red palette, we developed a rich
and innovative language across packaging, bars and even
furniture. We’re pleased to report that not only did this work
win a DBA Silver Award, but it gave the perfect golden pilsner
a local sales uplift of 65%.

HP focuses on simplifying technology experiences for all of its
customers, whether individual consumers or large businesses.
With a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing,
software, services and IT infrastructure, HP is among the
world’s largest IT companies, with revenue totaling over
$100 billion. Therefore when HP was searching for a brand
guardian, it was important to find a partner with a wide range
thebrandunion.com/casestudy/cofco
of capabilities and one who could support HP globally. As one of the largest import-export businesses in China, add further brands and subsidiaries in the future. We helped
In 2006 we were selected as HP’s brand partner. Since then COFCO owned 20 well-known product brands and more than COFCO find their identity as one of helping people to work in
we have been working with HP’s corporate brand marketing 100 subsidiaries. It was a complex mix to communicate, and harmony with nature. Along with a simpler, clear-cut brand
group to continue to build a relevant and compelling brand a challenge for us to create a brand architecture that would architecture, we created a new visual identity that expressed
both internally and externally. We are engaged in a wide allow COFCO to clarify its offer, strengthen its brand position the relationship between people, earth, sky, and natural life.
range of programmes drawing on our expertise in the area of in an increasingly competitive environment, and see how to
brand strategy, research, design and employee engagement.
CASTROL
While today’s vehicles need increasingly more technically
advanced lubricants, Castrol recognised that customers
care less and less about engines and what happens under
the bonnet, but do care for their vehicles and recognise the
pivotal role they play in their lives. Based on this insight, we
guided the repositioning of the brand, finding the emotional
IT’S ABOUT UNDERSTANDING
WHAT MOVES PEOPLE.
connection that linked a technically advanced motor oil, to
today’s non-mechanically minded customer and the vehicles
they care for. The central idea recognised that a brand with a
hundred years of engineering excellence could stand for more
than just motor oil, it could mean peace of mind and security,
and the knowledge that you’ve done the right thing.
The challenge creatively, was to give the Castrol masterbrand
a new confident tone, a premium look that would be in
keeping with a market leader. Achieved in part through a bold
reinterpretation of the Castrol symbol, the new look recognised
and reinvigorated the visual equity of a great brand.
 When Daimler Chrysler launched the new Maybach, a new
identity was needed to express the qualities of this new
automobile. We created the new mark in the classic tradition
of the Maybach brothers, who designed and built their series
of elegant, elite vehicles from 1929. The identity invested
Maybach with the iconic status it deserved, ensuring the
brand heritage drove into the modern day in a compelling and
relevant way. Our thinking extended into the development
of strategic concepts for Maybach’s future retail network
platform - environments that communicated the ethos of
personal service in every detail, including presenting owners
with a film of themselves driving away in their new Maybach.

thebrandunion.com/casestudy/ bjets

Elite travellers in Asia, as elsewhere, want to get where they
need to go with personal attention, convenience, privacy and
personal control. BJETS needed a brand personality and
identity system that would give them distinction in a cluttered
market. The elegant monogram we created expresses the
luxury of the service by combining the letter B with a stylised
graphic bird in flight - a symbol of freedom to fly at will.
We developed this symbol into a logotype and identity that
expresses their promise of personalised attention, privacy
and personal control through every touch point. It’s a modern
classic in Asia, and expresses the smoothness of service
customers can expect from BJETS.
 Marassi is a premier destination incorporating the
architectural styles of Greece, Andalusia, Italy, Tunisia and
Morocco. Created by leading property developer Emaar,
it incorporates a world-class beach resort, bustling town
centre, marina, golf course and healthcare facilities. Our
challenge was to create a brand strategy and brand world
that would communicate the development’s premium quality
to an elite Egyptian audience. The identity we developed
draws on the pure natural beauty of the destination and many
generations of families’ fond memories of summer holidays
past. The organic wordmark and design language we created
reflects the essence ‘Truly somewhere else’. Right from
the launch event we provided a multisensory engagement
with the experience people would expect to have in Marassi
- an experience that continues with the sales centre and, of
course, the destination itself.

American Express was beginning to become vulnerable to
competitors who were targeting and appealing to the needs
of a customer segment whose lifestyle was structured
more around credit than charge purchases. Our research
showed that whilst American Express was one of the most
well respected brands in the world, it had a very singular
positioning in “privileged membership”, which did not resonate
with that segment or with the breadth and diversity of
American Express’ new product offerings. Based on these
insights, our recommendation was that the blue box be used
as the singular brand that could represent the company as
well as its products. The blue box became the foundation of
the American Express megabrand communications structure.
 Following an extensive review of their brand, SEAT asked
us to bring their newly defined positioning ‘auto emoción’ to
life, using a distinctive visual identity to help redirect them
towards real competitive advantage within the market.
The new design was more than a change of look and image.
It was a new positioning for the brand, providing a distinctive
offer in consumers’ minds. A new set of design elements
were developed, including an evolved symbol, a stronger
logotype, newly defined primary colours and a distinctive
design for the exterior dealership identification, together
resulting in a more confident, legible and distinctive offer. The
new primary colours of red represented the emotive values
of passion, sportiness, dynamism and the Mediterranean
origin of the SEAT brand, and the chrome/silver signified the
rational values of quality, technology and prestige.

In an increasingly competitive market, protecting Motorola’s
market leadership became imperative. The stores needed
to create a unique experience for customers - fostering an
emotional bond with Motorola’s ‘seamless mobility’ message.
The solution also had to be flexible enough to adapt for
local markets. Our direction focused on one insight - that
customers know that Motorola’s handset design sets the
brand apart. Inspired by the visual contrasts of iconic designs
such as the Razr and Pebl, our concept used the strength of
this design paradox as ‘hero’ in the store space, making sure
that the environments reflect and reinforce Motorola’s unique
and innovative range of handsets and accessories.
The three communities of the Indian state of Jammu and
Kashmir hoped that a new government could help them put
nearly 30 years of territorial conflict behind them. J&K Bank,
a flagship company for the region, felt it was the moment
to refocus its brand as a cornerstone of regional economic
prosperity and new optimism. After extensive research and
consultation, an idea from Sufi poetry gave us the image
of a soaring falcon that was recognised and admired right
across the region. Incorporating this as a central part of the
brandmark and brand identity symbolised harmony between
the three communities. The bank’s Chairman, Haseeb Drabu,
described our work as ‘a labour of love’.
The beginning.