Hamptons is a name familiar to many but upon looking back at its illustrious history when celebrating 150 years in existence, the owners took a chance to muse on what the next 150 years would look like.
Its corporate identity is very strong, with its navy blue and white livery an unmistakable combination. As of the 7th December 2020, however, the estate agent interior office design of Hamptons’ 90 branches, digital footprint, paper stationary and physical image will take on a new look.
A new, richer, darker blue for the brand’s background colour will be joined by a warm shade of coral – used on its new master strapline ‘the home experts’. The word Hamptons remains in white but appears in a refreshed serif font.
The agent’s Managing Director, Lesley Cairns, said of the brand refresh and estate agency fit out: “As a business we have never stood still and always adapted to meet the changing needs of our customers. Contemporary in design, the new look reflects the business today while adhering to the core values that set us and our customers apart when we first opened our doors in 1869.”
Revamping your brand allows you to reach a new audience, start afresh and reposition yourself in a crowded market. It also allows businesses to drum up some positive PR and column inches. Like Hamptons, your own makeover doesn’t have to be drastic. Here are four subtle changes that will ensure your corporate identity is still identifiable but different enough to attract attention:
1. Change your font: there are thousands of ready-made fonts in existence or the MPL creatives can design a bespoke typeface unique to your brand. To switch up your look, swap from serif to sans serif (or the other way), try italic or bold options, or play around with font sizes.
2. Change the shade: some of the most successful brand changes MPL has overseen have involved subtly changing the shades used in a corporate identity. Like Hamptons, a business can stick with blue, for example, but go darker towards shades of midnight and navy, or lighten up with tones of azure and ultramarine. Keeping within the same colour family ensures ongoing brand recognition.
3. Add a logo or change your existing one: if you’d like to keep the same colour palette for consistency, you can bring a new dimension to your brand by adding a logo or changing the icon you already use. MPL can design discreet logos that work seamlessly across print and digital platforms, so please ask us for ideas.
4. Add a strapline: a small line of text under your business name or logo is often enough to convey a new message or change the direction of your company. MPL can create the right typographical balance and ensure the end design is cohesive and readable.
If you’d like to give your brand a boost, talk to MPL. Our end-to-end service starts at the sketch and ideas stage, and encompasses a new set of brand guidelines and a scheduled wholesale installation of new exterior signage and office personalization.
