Contrary to the name, The Leeds is an internationally renowned piano competition, occupying a prominent position in the cultural landscape of Yorkshire and is one of a small number of cultural organisations in the North with international reach and impact.
2021 represents a new era for The Leeds, so they approached us to refresh their brand identity that encapsulated their vision, keen to establish strong differentiation amongst fellow competitions, by redefining what a 21st century competition can do.
The creative look and feel reflects the eclectic nature of, and feelings induced by piano music. Whether that’s dramatic and urgent or soft and mellow our suite of typography styles emulate these sounds and feelings.
Embracing the existing logo, we have brought this to the fore. Flexibly adapting the keys to hold quotations and photography for a varied yet cohesive look and feel.
Thanks to our research, we discovered the word ‘vegan’ could often be off-putting to some flexitarians. So we made the brand celebratory, revelling in the vibrancy of plant-based foods that are just as tasty and flavoursome as non-vegan alternatives. It was about promoting full-on flavour, never a compromise or lack-lustre meat substitute.
To really get under the skin of the brand, we immersed ourselves in the competitor landscape, carrying out stakeholder workshops in Germany to find out what makes them unique. We engaged with all departments, from design to supply chain, to discover the brand’s DNA and get everyone behind the new brand strategy.
Black and white competition shots are partnered with dramatic hazy lighting, hero-ing the pianist and the moment, representing the emotion of piano music and the world it can transport you to, whilst honouring the pianists dedication, craft and the prestige of the competition.
We created a new identity for Faye, using the shape of speech marks in the logo to represent self-expression and emphasise the self-affirming tone of voice. To represent the audience of the ‘Faye sisterhood’, all photography and illustrations were natural and unedited, a celebration of diversity and individuality.
Thanks to our rebrand, Faye now represents and celebrates female confidence, quirks and contradictions… unapologetic and unfiltered.
By adding ‘Your’ to the brand name, developing a more personal tone-of-voice, and focusing on a human-centric photography style, we created a collection of own-able brand assets that showcase the one-to-one service Your Engine Room provides. To pay homage to the original logo, the cog was pulled into the imagery and the graphics were evolved to become softer and warmer, effectively symbolising Your Engine Room's vision of being an integral part of their clients team.
Locally The Leeds’ roots are planted deep, with imaginative learning and engagement programmes in schools and communities. With live music and performances put on hold due to the pandemic, 2021’s artistic theme for the competition centres around “Growing stronger together”, exploring recovery resilience and hope, so our colour palette needed the flex to not only be serious but bright, joyous and youthful too.
Our impactful, colourful photography evokes the energy of the brand, bursting with life and vibrancy.
We designed a comprehensive brand book, so the internal team could immerse themselves in the new world of Faye. Beautifully designed, the layered transparent pages reflect the layering of Faye jewellery, a tactile brand book, it has a premium magazine feel, that audiences will want to engage with and keep.
The triennial competition is steeped in history, attracting the world’s finest young pianists, drawn by the opportunities offered by the life-changing prize package. With initial rounds being held at various international venues, the 20th finale is hosted at a grand ceremony in Leeds Town Hall.
Our striking souvenir brochure commemorates the 20th competition, with abstract, black foil keys dominating the front cover. A treasured and collectible souvenir for many that follow the competition.
2021 saw the birth of their Expert Antenatal Classes, a modern approach taught exclusively by registered nurses. From the existing brand architecture we developed a suite of assets born from an ultrasound scan, the logo represents both an ‘M’ and the shape of the baby. This is then used as a fluid line acting as a connector between mum-to-be and the antenatal community.
Nurturing and championing young talent are at the heart of The Leeds.The Leeds piano trail brings piano music to the masses with 10 pianos positioned across the city for all to take part and enjoy.
To raise awareness our poster campaign will be featured around the city encouraging people from all backgrounds to get involved and embrace the piano.
A suite of flexible bold background colours gives the brand modernity, whilst allowing appropriate differentiation across SKUs and categories.
An extension of the My Expert Midwife team, we have an ongoing creative partnership. Our highly targeted approach harmonises across all online, social and paid media.
Recent campaigns include ‘putting the u back into mum’, which we developed to raise awareness to the importance of self-care in motherhood.
We have created a pure and simple identity, with a cohesive suite of brand assets appropriate for different aspects of “Wellness” providing the appropriate flex for future growth.
Launched in late 2020 with the impact of Covid ongoing, UK consumers are still under lockdown restrictions. It’s early days but the range proves to be a success as customers crave a little Wellness and tranquillity at home.
Our new brand identity has energised Little Angels, which continues to go from strength to strength. As well as products and packaging, the design has been rolled out to point-of-sale in-store and on the new Asda Baby Club website, for a full brand experience.
