Strategy, Naming, Brand Voice, Platform Writing.

It’s always good times when you’re tasked with redefining the brand of a product, service or business that’s already out there amongst the masses. But when you're brought in long before this, something even more incredible can happen.

SKY had led New Zealand’s television industry for over two decades. But the rapid rise of digital unearthed a new threat to television companies worldwide: video-streaming and illegal downloading services.

SKY's solution was simple – they’d create a video-streaming service of their own. But figuring out how it would look, sound, and work? Less simple. They needed a brand that could shape their service’s development, bring it to life, and convince Kiwis that the old TV network could compete in this new era.

Introducing NEON. The service’s user interface (UI), accounts for 90% of the user’s experience with the brand – so that’s where the work began. Knowing they’d want to get from searching for content to watching it as quickly and easily as possible - NEON was created – a bright, bold, brand of the future. Once you switch it ‘on’, it helps you find what you need, and then gets out of the way. So you can forget about your world, and stream effortlessly into another.

In the case of Neon, the product and brand were essentially conceived together, the result of which created New Zealand’s fastest growing on-demand television streaming service, from New Zealand’s largest media company. Neon has managed to reverse SKY's decline in the face of changing consumer behaviour and a heavy hit from Netflix’s entrance into the Kiwi market. The video included in the portfolio doesn’t just reveal the brand that is Neon, but it explains how the tone of voice has shaped the way in which the interface experienced and enjoyed by hundreds and thousands of New Zealanders, both at home and on the move. 

Created with the team at Interbrand Australia, I was proud to lead the naming and brand voice development of this important project, and assist the strategy team with the development of strong strategic brand territories built on local market insight and first-hand consumer experience on the ground.

Brand Strategy and Tone of Voice.

Connecting with the connectors. Bango is a payment platform connecting Google, Microsoft, Samsung and Amazon to more than 2 billion smartphone users globally.

Bango needed a compelling brand story and a more confident way to present themselves to drive global growth. By talking with their key customers, we realised that the value Bango offers is more than their unique technology and integrations, it is the business insights their data provides.

Thinking inside the circle. We positioned Bango as a destination where businesses go to thrive, leveraging the platform’s potential to fuel partner growth through data-driven insights. The idea of ‘the growth circle’ brought together Bango’s mission to unlock new dimensions of growth for leading businesses, while making frictionless payment available to every mobile user in the world.

Being inside the ‘Bango circle’ became an analogy for being part of a network of e-commerce businesses all benefiting from better payment technologies, better connections and better insights.

Created with the brilliant team at Re London, part of the M&C Saatchi Group.

Naming, Brand Strategy, Tone of Voice, Copywriting.

Arthritis starts by taking the small things. And then, bit by bit, it steals life’s fundamentals — the ability to work; care for a family; or to move without pain. But we live in a world that simply shrugs off arthritis. Too often, it goes unseen and unchallenged.

The merger of Arthritis Research UK with Arthritis Care gave Re the opportunity to build a brand that would push back against these prevailing attitudes. One that would lead the charge in defying arthritis and demanding action for, and with, people affected by the condition. It also needed to be a brand with range, with the ability to speak to everyone from politicians to young people living with arthritis.

Power to the people.

We developed a new name, Versus Arthritis, which encapsulates the collective battle against the condition. It captures the pressures, but also the power, of the people working together against arthritis. Those who constantly fight back against the condition: the carers and campaigners, researchers and runners, listeners and supporters. The people Versus Arthritis.

Movement for change.

The new logo is a visual metaphor for the collective battle with arthritis. The individual characters reflect the diversity of pressures caused by the condition and, used together, reflect the power behind the movement for change.

As the logo is built around the idea of applying pressure, motion and behaviour play a big role in bringing it to life — forming the basis of the logo, communications and digital expressions. It is a brand that constantly pushes forward: a force to be reckoned with.

M&C Saatchi London, who worked alongside Re on the brand development, created the launch campaign for the charity. A national outdoor and TV campaign, supported by media partnerships with Gogglebox, introduced the new organisation and movement to people across the UK.

Arthritis is stealing work from someone you know
Arthritis is stealing independence from someone you know
Arthritis is stealing intimacy from someone you know

Created with the brilliant team at Re / M&C Saatchi London.

Producer, Copywriting.

The youngest of seven, Taane Mete is a free spirited yoga instructor, massage therapist and classically trained dancer born and raised in Napier, New Zealand. Over three decades of world class performances with major dance companies have seen Taane build a career enriched with Māori culture that is steeped in tradition and transformation from an indigenous perspective. A collaborative creator at heart, Taane recently made the decision to unify all of his passions to transform the lives of his clients, including his own. Taane combines his experience as a yoga teacher and practitioner to deliver dance classes, wellbeing retreats and workshops around the world – creating and crafting a new adventure in movement, mindfulness and more.

Goodwork was honoured to craft a brand identity and website that embodied Taane’s spirit, humility and grace. The brand serves as a platform to convey the deep connection Taane maintains to all aspects of his practice. The logo stands tall, representing the three pillars of his life’s work and approach to all that he does, extending like branches and reaching for great heights. From the lands (whenua) that keep us grounded to the support (manaaki) that lift us up – Taane Mete guides people to what is most true (tika).

Created with the legendary team at Goodwork’s New Zealand studio.

Video produced by James Cooper.

Camera and post-production by Jeremy Masters.

Brand Voice Workshops and Trainings, Naming, Copywriting. 

Once government owned and Australia’s only telco, Telstra had a large customer base, but a larger customer perception problem. They needed to shift from a corporate monopoly to a brand people wanted to choose. 

Telstra had exclusively used blue in its communications, reinforcing perceptions of it being too corporate. In our redesign we opened the brand up to the full spectrum of colour - both visually and verbally, allowing the brand to better relate to its audiences using different tones and emotions. 

At launch, the vivid contrast between the old and the new was exciting and dramatic, serving as an instant and powerful signal of change—from old to young, and from corporate to personal. 

Post launch, consumer consideration rose 5% and business consideration increased 9%, an unprecedented improvement in Telstra’s history, reversing a 5-year decline. With a new, vibrant expression, Telstra made a visible commitment to connecting with its customers.

Created with the team at Interbrand Australia, I was fortunate to join the team right before the launch of the new brand. I became heavily involved in leading brand voice workshops and trainings around Australia, tag-teaming design and language conversations with Chris Maclean - as we connected the brand to thousands across the country. As the brand rolled out, over the next three years I led extensive naming projects across the business, including the development of nomenclature naming systems. Of course, there was plenty of copywriting in between to keep the pen wet too, such as defining the language for Telstra's Connected Future 2020 Vision (see second video). 

Campaign Idea, Naming, Campaign Strategy, Copywriting.

Intention. Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable of all cancers yet the LGBTIQ community are less likely to screen for cervical screening than the rest of the population. Turns out even as a priority population for screening, the LGBTIQ community are often left out of ‘mainstream’ messaging. Combine this with individual screening experiences ranging from the ‘easy peasy, there’s nothing to worry about!’ all the way through to the truly traumatic, the campaign needed to do a lot more than just promote cervical screening. It was essential the campaign understood the nuances of the individual and the community.

Simply put, it was time to change the conversation around cervical cancer. So that’s exactly what we did. With national changes going down (pun intended) to the pap test in 2018, ACON decided this was the perfect time to bring a new message to the LGBTIQ community. It was crucial the campaign reached not just ‘lesbians’ but the full and fantastic spectrum of LGBTIQ people with a cervix – encouraging them to get cervical screening regardless of how they identify or who they have sex with. The brief wasn’t just about making things look and sound good, but to create a compelling campaign that harnessed the power to save lives for good.

Journey. Introducing The Inner Circle – a community campaign changing the conversation around cervical cancer. Speaking to both the cervix as a body part as well as a trusted social circle, we created a new platform from which to start a conversation around cervical cancer in the LGBTIQ community. Delivered across multiple channels, the core of the campaign saw a series of engaging videos by goodwork created with a cross-section of community ambassadors from across the LGBTIQ community. Together, through tears and laughter, love and friendship they shared their personal experiences with cervical screening and cervical cancer. To further support the campaign, ACON created ‘Check OUT’ – a free and confidential cervical and STI screening clinic for LGBTIQ people. Launching on Facebook on New Year’s Day under the banner of ‘Happy New Smear’, the first video been shared around the world and viewed more than 14,000 times. The individual story videos that followed also gained great following and support with close to 100,000 views across social media and hundreds of likes and shares.

That’s goodwork. While the campaign focused on gaining as much immediate impact with our target groups, the brand thinking focused on establishing a long-term relationship between ACON, cervical screening and the wider LGBTIQ and healthcare communities. Through this trusted brand relationship, we could then effectively and continually communicate new messages through the platform, and with greater effectiveness than focusing on the short-term goals of a campaign alone. This goodwork approach enabled the campaign to stretch far beyond aesthetics alone, and has been successful in helping to save lives through screening.

Created with the legendary team at Goodwork.

Brand Voice, Strategy.

Bailey Nelson is a different kind of eyewear operation. In an overpriced and uninspired industry, their mission is to make buying glasses one of life’s pleasures.

How? Through beautiful, affordable eyewear, warm, inviting stores, and passionate, genuine people. But as their small business began to grow, they realised they needed a better way to protect their culture, communicate their offering, and ultimately define their identity and destiny. They needed a brand that meant more than good glasses.

Because Bailey Nelson has always provided affordable eyewear, customers often bought multiple pairs to suit their different activities, lifestyles and even moods. In short? They used their glasses to express themselves. Together with the team at Interbrand Australia, I was fortunate to work on this project prior to my move back to New Zealand to open FutureBrand's Auckland office. Together, we tapped we created a brand around the idea of ‘Look Different’ – an invitation and celebration of individuality. While the positioning of 'I am Bailey Nelson' talks to the community the brand creates from its staff to its supporters. Together, these ideas have became a lens through which to approach not only their brand and communications, but also business decisions like who to hire. And now — with stores opening all over the world— Bailey Nelson’s future is looking brighter than ever. 

Brand Strategy, Brand Voice, Copywriting, Voiceover Work, Workshops and Trainings.

SKY has long been the biggest player in New Zealand’s TV industry. With close to one million subscribers in New Zealand, the opportunity to rebrand SKY Television was a once in a lifetime gig - literally, as their last rebrand was in 1987 and they were pretty happy with it when I first met them. Kiwis have always loved SKY’s content, but they haven’t always loved the brand. It was this, coupled with the challenges faced by the pay-TV industry at a global level, which led to SKY taking stock of its business to prepare for the future. 

Together with the team at Interbrand Australia, I got stuck in - leading the development of SKY's new tone of voice and contributing to the overall strategy and architecture of the brand. This then led into further supporting the client with executional writing including scripts, voiceover work and extensive brand workshops with key leadership team members, agencies and staff. 

We decided the best way forward was to remind Kiwis of SKY’s role in bringing them the content they love so dearly. And so The Expedition was born – a brand identity that heroes the energy and emotion of TV and New Zealander’s love of adventure. Using the two triangles found in SKY’s old logotype, and a more inviting, more Kiwi tone of voice, the new SKY invites customers on an adventure into a remarkable new world of entertainment.

Copywriting.

The British restaurant chain Itsu approached us to help them create an impactful communications campaign to promote their new hot food menu and let people know they offer more than sushi.

We set out to grab people’s attention and challenge perceptions with arresting typography, bold colours and a tongue-in-cheek tone of voice that reference high fashion advertising cliches.

The art direction combine delicious food with stylised hand models, sharp contrast and bright backgrounds to break the convention for high street food photography.

The modular layout system was developed to ensure the campaign could be successfully adapted across 70 stores, digital advertising and other media placements.

Created with the team at OMSE London.

Branded Environments, Copywriting.

In 2016, while working in partnership with FCB New Zealand - awarded the most effective advertising agency in the country - I had the pleasure of working with FCB Design and Vodafone to brand the employee environment of the organisation's new Christchurch HQ. Together with incredible illustrator and designer, Nick McFarlane (http://nickmcfarlane.co.nz/) we got to work on the walls of this incredible new space and place in Vodafone's crown. The result is a true celebration of both life at Vodafone and in New Zealand - especially the South Island.

Strategy, Naming, Brand Voice, Copywriting.

Leading the successful win and creation of a new skincare brand for New Zealand and the world - Luceo, Latin meaning, “I shine”, is a celebration of New Zealand being the first place in the world to greet the sun of each new day. Luceo’s key ingredient comes from grapes grown in this wondrous part of the world, and together the story of Luceo unfolds, unfurls and unviels an inner beauty, a love for life and a deep respect for nature.

Below are two unique concepts for the brand.

Naming.

In the information era children need skills in creativity, leadership, innovation and confidence. Children need to learn to be creators of innovation, not just consumers. Brainchild Academy was created to deliver in class tangible experiences for children with hands on, play based learning, which are fun and inspiring. As a startup enterprise, Brainchild needed help to develop a brand, name, positioning, and all brand touchpoints.

The BrainChild brand is created in the classroom, by the students. Creating the brand becomes a learning activity which allows children to experiment with creativity and technology. The identity consists of a framework or blueprint, which is then filled with illustrations which are created by the children using a generative art tool (created using Processing, an open source computer programming language). The resulting art is captured as vector files, which can be later used in brand collateral, or dropped into 3D mesh templates for building activities. Using the tool inspires kids interested in coding, as they can see the code interface and the mechanic used to create and capture the illustrations.

Created with the team at Theo+Theo, I was proud to lead the naming of this budding education brand. 

Strategy, Naming, Brand Voice, Copywriting.

When SKY NZ were rebranding their television network, they shared the challenges they’d faced establishing how to talk about all of the good things they’re doing within the local community.

Yogether with the team at Interbrand Australia, I helped them build a programme that's all about giving back to the community and supporting the next generation of Kiwi athletes.

Unveiling itself as SKY Next and employing the visual and verbal assets of the new masterbrand, this initiative supports emerging New Zealand athletes on their journeys. SKY Next’s squad of 18 talented young Kiwis are provided with both financial and mentoring support to give them the best possible chance of international success within their individual sporting pursuits.The SKY Next identity is bold, powerful and inspiring - illustrating the incredible journeys and experiences of its athletes. The name itself represents the 'next big thing' in New Zealand sport, and the 'next' motif features in every communication as part of the brand's unique tone of voice. 

A selection of Next's real athletes from the programme were filmed via DDB New Zealand for this TVC found below.

Maurine Talpin, SKY Brand Manager, had this to say about SKY Next’s launch as part of the rebrand of SKY: “It’s the perfect fit with what we stand for as a company, from the passion we have for all things sport to proactively contributing to New Zealand in a meaningful way. I am very proud that we’ve launched this programme.”

Learn more about the programme here: skynext.co.nz/

Brand Voice, Copywriting.

Born out of a desire to propel Australian fintech startups to success on the global stage, Stone & Chalk gained rapid momentum from the moment they launched their organisation. Their original, somewhat rudimentary brand wasn’t up to the task of representing the respected global player they quickly became. The brand needed to grow up fast, with a new positioning and identity to reflect the outspoken challenger values of the company.

The positioning ‘founders of tomorrow’ sets the tone for the brand, and creates a mission statement. The name harks back to the cornerstone of innovation – that some things are set in stone, while the rest is written in chalk. A simple visual metaphor for ‘stone’ and ‘chalk’ was created and a bold, sharp tone of voice which reflects their role as thought and category leaders. Since its launch, the re-brand enabled Stone & Chalk to secure top corporate sponsors, and led to the creation of a new tech fintech innovation hub in Melbourne. It is a pivotal part of the redesign of two new properties, which in 2018 will support over 700 entrepreneurs.

Created with the team at Theo+Theo, I am proud to have led the creation of Stone and Chalk's brand voice, and the storytelling of the brand's unique strategy and approach to market.

Plattar is the world's simplest augmented reality app builder and content management system - a platform now used by some of world's biggest brands to create amazing AR experiences including Red Bull, Fonterra, Unilever, PWC and Fox Sports. 

Established in 2015, Plattar is a cloud-based platform that allows brands, publishers and agencies to create, manage and distribute augmented reality content in a simple, cost-effective way.

The platform comprises a template driven app builder and content management system for managing AR experiences, and can deploy content to any device. Plattar operates on a software as a service subscription model, and for larger projects provides bespoke content solutions, integration and support.

Plattar's leadership team approached me seeking support to craft a compelling pitch, in hope of securing investment for the platform. In April last year, I'm proud to say Plattar closed an oversubscribed seed investment round for AU$1.1 million, led by News Corp Australia and supported by existing prominent private investors.

Naming.

Vital.ly began life as Practitioner Supplements (pracs.com.au) – an Internet-based practitioner-only patient order system. Pracs was first designed to reduce the expense of running a dispensary, and disrupt the alternative health market. After stellar growth and changing the way alternative health businesses took their products to market, Pracs.com.au decided to explore the direct-to-consumer channel they described as “ripe with inefficiencies” and “ready for disruption”.

Working with the team at Theo+Theo, I was proud to lead the development of Pracs' new name, Vital.ly - focusing on the vital role the brand's products play in the lives of Australians. 

Brand Voice. 

CarsGuide believes the process of buying and selling cars online is broken. So they’re fixing it. With things like free listings and location-based search. In other words, they’re the antidote to CarSales. This bold new way of thinking is reflected in the brand strategy and identity created for them. With the brand idea ‘Joy Mechanics’, together with the team at Interbrand Australia, we created an identity that simultaneously disrupts the market while making the process of buying and selling cars easier and more enjoyable.

The idea is simple. The brand is split into two characters, each with distinct personality traits, typeface and tone of voice. First up is The Mechanic. He’s simple, straightforward, and to the point. Then there’s The Guide. Friendly, cheeky, and always happy to help. To make it work, we use a simple construct. ‘The Mechanic’ says something simple, informative and to the point. Then we let ‘The Guide’ loose. He’s always tinkering, editing, pointing out useful bits or adding something fun. The logo is clear, simple and flexible, and can be infinitely customised by the Guide.

Strategic and Creative Direction, Naming, Copywriting and Filming. 

Tropical Island Yoga is a unique yoga experience in the South Pacific paradise of the Cook Islands. Over seven life-affirming days, people from all over the world are rewarded in body, mind and soul, on and off the mat.

Celebrating the social side of the mat - the brand balances three daily practices with world class instructors alongside intimate cultural encounters, tropical nights out and rewarding adventures.

I was proud to lead the creation of this brand - from strategy to creative direction to naming and copywriting, working directly with the client and bringing together a team of talented freelancers where required.

Discover the brand video below and the truly unique experience of Tropical Island Yoga. Video is a ClairObscur Production (ClairObscur.co.nz) - directed and shot by Jen Raoult, drone filming from me and music by DjDrez "Light Me Up" (djdrez.com).

Follow the experience @tropicalislandyoga

Book a retreat at www.tropicalislandyoga.com

Brand Voice. 

Once recognised as a university with a truly unique story of discovery and purpose, over time the brand had lost the ability to inspire and unite.

Today, Macquarie University lies at the centre of Australia’s largest high-tech precinct. However, over the years, as the world and the city around it kept evolving, the University has struggled to embrace and update its original raison d’etre. What had started as a pioneering university – a small but visionary alternative to the ‘sandstone universities’, at the forefront of many innovations – had become just another large, mid-tier university. By all means a good university, but one whose brand punched below its weight – perceived as being a bit ordinary, and confused in its positioning over the years. With a new Vice-Chancellor in charge, the University was determined to create a more distinctive and inspiring narrative .Reclaiming the audacity to challenge conventions

The development of the new narrative was to be approached as a comprehensive effort, aimed at all the University’s stakeholders, starting with its staff. It was not a conventional marketing exercise, but the articulation of a ‘shared identity’, as the brand project would be called.

The rebrand took place over the course of a year and was structured in four phases. discovery, brand strategy and language, creative development and implementation. It was deeply consultative and focused on Macquarie University as the parent brand while encompassing all the many entities that together form the University – from faculties and schools to research centres, student organisations and partnerships with industry.

The brand strategy has injected a new sense of purpose into Macquarie University and its culture – it speaks of audacity and breaking free from conventional thinking. A new brand proposition centred on the essence ‘nurtured to break free’ establishes a clear link to the University’s creation story, while providing the basis for a challenger role in the higher education landscape and a rich platform for ongoing evolution.

A new visual and verbal identity projects the University’s creation story into the future.

Around a more confident parent brand, a new brand architecture was introduced throughout the entire University portfolio. New principles were explored, negotiated and established. They recognise the diversity and specific requirements of individual entities while aligning them more closely to Macquarie University as a whole. High-profile institutions such as the prestigious graduate business school MGSM and the state-of-the-art hospital on the campus have become more clearly part of the bigger Macquarie University story. They lift the profile of their parent brand while borrowing its strength and authoritativeness.

With the brand proposition and architecture completed, the visual and verbal brand identity was evolved. After careful consideration, the existing brandmark – introduced only a few years earlier – was replaced. Despite all efforts, it had never succeeded in winning the hearts of staff, students or alumni, and was seen as devoid of meaning. In the new brandmark, the traditional symbol of the University, the Macquarie Lighthouse, has been brought back and reinterpreted in a contemporary manner. The continuity with the University’s creation story is seen as a source of confidence and as the inspiration to explore and experiment.

The new brandmark is surrounded by a new identity. This new identity projects the University’s narrative outside campus life and into the bigger world – engaged with the bigger issues that will determine the future of humanity.

The new identity touches every facet of the University’s communication and allows it to speak to different audiences with different tonalities while clearly emanating from the same brand. It brings flexibility as well as consistency.

The roll-out has started from the inside out, with a new faculty and research framework

At the completion of the project, extensive trainings were conducted to help the University’s in-house staff and its suppliers embrace and apply the new strategy and identity. We also worked closely with Macquarie in the selection and briefing of the advertising agency as well as the architects and artists who will help evolve the campus, making it again a beacon of freedom and optimism for new generations.

True to the spirit of the ‘Shared Identity’ project, the new brand strategy and identity were introduced to the University’s staff first, with a live Q&A session. The event was a success, and was soon followed by a gala with alumni and philanthropists against the magnificent backdrop of the Sydney Harbour. It was the occasion to celebrate the University’s 50th anniversary and be inspired by the ambitiousness of new ‘proof points’: the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences would soon be set up and a new framework established to foster multi-disciplinary research.

Now 50 years old, Macquarie University looks at the future with a renewed sense of purpose and confidence.

Created with the team at PUSH Collective, I led the creation of the new brand voice for this exciting and empowering rebrand of one of Australia's leading higher education institutions. 

Brand Voice, Naming, Copywriting.

TRX is an iconic 70-acre development in the heart of Kuala Lumpur that is set to become a leading centre for international finance and business. Paya Lebar Quarter is Singapore’s most progressive city precinct located at the heart of the URA’s urban regeneration masterplan for Paya Lebar - featuring three world-class office towers offering next generation workspaces, an exclusive 429-unit premier residence, and over 200 retailers with indoor and alfresco dining experiences sit amidst lush green, connected spaces. 

Both Lendlease developments, I worked closely with this large multi-national client and the teams at FutureBrand South East Asia and Australia to lead the development of language for both brands. 

Brand identity and language (in English and Spanish) and taco truck design.

Our brief was a tweet. Less than 140 characters. "Wanted: Dynamic and motivated designer to spruce up the Al Carbon truck before we hit the streets of Sydney."
In an inspiring and intimate warehouse (doubling as La Lupita, up until recently, a twice weekly pop up restaurant before moving to The Basement) we met Attila Yilmaz to discuss the opportunity to brand his colossal food truck over tacos, raspados and some Mexican beers.

Attila was about to launch Al Carbon as part of the City of Sydney's licensed food trucks trial. A retired policeman, Al Carbon (which means 'over charcoal') was Attila's chance to throw himself into something he loved, food. After some time travelling around Mexico, Attila had discovered authentic ways to cook Mexican food, coupled with hints of inspiration from his father and his Turkish roots.

Inspired by our surroundings, we had an idea. What if we could transport our studio to the warehouse and do something we'd never done before - Create a brand in a day. So one Saturday, we transported a mix of 20 interior and graphic designers, writers, strategists, management and client service people, macs and flipcharts to La Lupita. The process was fluid, but with frequent scheduled meetings to keep us on track. Leaders of each team would come together each hour to discuss ideas, agree direction and to allow Attila to be involved every step of the way. We developed a customer journey, social media strategy, brand identity and graphics for the truck as well as the story of Al Carbon. We literally created a brand in a day.

We agreed that the brand of Al Carbon would be a mythical place. Everything on the truck would be the best of Al Carbon.' The best chef of Al Carbon, the juiciest limes, the sweetest pineapple. Wherever the food truck pulled up it would transform the space it occupied. Visitors would enter the world of Al Carbon. To communicate the idea, we conceived the brand as a tourist campaign. 'Visit Al Carbon.' In transit, the truck was a big tourism ad for itself. When static, it became Al Carbon the place. We used bins to create a perimeter around the truck, so visitors literally cross the border and are asked to abandon all Mexican cliché's like moustaches and sombrero's. This was to be an authentic experience after all! We designed immigracion, where customers order their tacos and drinks. And we focused the queue along the side of the flame grilling barbecue where the theatre of cooking the meat captivated all the senses.

Al Carbon has been a resounding success. Launching at the Feast festival in Sydney, Attila served more than 800 people in one night. Just recently, a smaller version of the truck was a big hit at Splendour in Byron Bay. The Good Food Guide, named it in their review of best new places to eat, claiming 'hands down best taco's in Sydney' and Sydney's most popular bloggers have been raving about the food and the experience that is on offer. Oh, and we won an innovation award for the work within our own Interbrand network ;-) We're incredibly proud to have played a part in helping Al Carbon be a success. Seeing the queues and the smile on Attila's face has made it all very worthwhile.

Created with the team at Interbrand Australia.

Founded by myself and fellow drummer Danny Heifetz (Mr Bungle, Link Wray, Secret Chiefs 3), The Practice is one of Australia’s leading drum schools.

In an industry overplayed by clichés and tacky flyers, often seen as having a complete disregard for design – The Practice set out to do things a little differently. Establishing itself with an identity that had as much impact as the instrument itself, The Practice launched its new Sydney CBD studio as a ‘rhythm consultancy’. The ‘hands on’ approach won over aspiring and professional drummers alike.

With a design system that employs rhythm as a means of expression and a hard-hitting tone of voice – The Practice uses strong visual and verbal cues to draw the crowd in.

The Practice makes perfect drummers. Open since 11am.

Created with Ben Miles - Creative Director. 

Brand Voice, Naming, Copywriting.

Enthia were looking to reposition their business as a unique market leader in web development, with a goal to work as an outsourced development company to advertising agencies and big brands. A brand workshop got to the heart of what drives Enthia as a business, and distilled the insights from this to align their goals, personality, core beliefs and purpose in their visual and verbal expression.

To symbolise these beliefs, the concept of “digital explorers” was born. The digital explorer represents the search for unique ideas, and insights to kick convention by rewriting the standards of a traditional website development agency. The use of imagery themed around search and exploration strikes an emotive wonder into curiosity of the unknown, paired with corporate fashion detail and textural architecture to communicate a premium contemporary visual identity.

“We roam a digital wonderland in search of unique ideas and insights to kick convention and re thread the fabric of web site development service. To achieve our exploration we rely upon pivotal tools to navigate far beyond the highest mountain to discover uncharted excellence. This route leverages the idea of these tools guiding our way to define process, unite strategic direction for our clients and create a purposeful engaging identity. Our finely tuned tools allow us to be fresh, disruptive (challenging the norm) and stay culturally connected.”

Ciaran Williamson - Designer, Enthia

Created with the team at Bench Creative, I led the development of name, brand voice and copywriting for Enthia. 

Brand Voice, Naming.

BRONZE 2016 BEST AWARDS

BLACK FINALIST 2016 AGDA AWARDS.

The New Driver Education Programme (NDEP), is a joint venture between NZTA and ACC. From the outset, the project team were adamant that the programme was to be design led with an uncompromising user focus. The programme’s overarching goal is to save lives on New Zealand’s roads. The brief was to co-create an engaging brand with users, so that it communicated with them on their terms.

Multiple user engagement sessions were run with young Kiwis from across New Zealand to inform the design of the brand. All components of the brand were tested with our young kiwi audience— from the programme’s name to the brand’s tone of voice. With a tendency to over complicate things, it was unsurprising that the recurring message coming out of these sessions was ‘keep it simple, don’t make me feel stupid’.

In response to the issue of young Kiwis getting their licence then forgetting everything they learnt — a clear, single minded brand strategy was created which established the brand’s core idea of ‘Inner Drive’. Inner Drive positioned the brand as a way to encourage all young drivers to continue to get better. It reminded them that getting their licence was just the beginning.

Created with the team at Strategy, Design and Advertising in Wellington. 

Strategy, Naming, Brand Voice, Copywriting.

I partnered with Theo+Theo and Gabrielle Carlson, a naturopath from Victoria, Australia to create and craft a unique range of naturopathic herbal teas from the gourmet region of King Valley, Australia.

Brand Voice, Copywriting.

Problem:

For over a hundred years people in Australia have used paper directories to search for friends, family or local businesses. However with the rise of digital technology and the emergence of Google as a universal synonym for ‘search’, the world has changed.

For Sensis – an organisation whose operations were previously focused on paper directories – the imperative has been to re-imagine its role in a digital landscape. This has involved transformational changes in terms of what it offers to customers and how its business operates. From a complex and dilutive portfolio of brands, products and services to a focused set of strategic assets, Sensis is now positioned to meet every customer’s needs. From paper directories to SEO, website design and apps, Sensis is now at the forefront of digital marketing services for Australian businesses.

The recommendation was to separate the B2B and B2C functions that existed in all brands across the portfolio. This result was the elevation of the Sensis brand from a passive corporate entity to a purely B2B brand, focused on helping its customers optimise their marketing efforts. Meanwhile the other brands in the portfolio (Yellow Pages, White Pages, True Local, WhereIs) would represent a range of B2C offerings across print and digital. The result is a portfolio that gives focus to all of the Sensis brands and provides scope to introduce new propositions as and when they are developed.

Solution:

The expression of the new Sensis brand needed to show how it could educate and empower organisations of all sizes to be better marketers. It needed to present itself as a guide for Australian businesses as they navigated from the physical to the digital. It needed to be a brand that could engage and motivate by demystifying technology and simplifying complexity.

The new brand is based around the character of a mouse: a metaphor for the resourceful, determined and industrious businesses Sensis works with. The mouse is the hero and platform for all of our communications. Dutch illustrator Tim Boelaars was commissioned to create a menagerie of characters who interact with the Sensis mouse to help tell the story of Sensis and its customers.

Each individual story uses a simple metaphor relevant to a business issue, such as growth (Giraffe), knowledge (Owl) and technology (Robot). Using these recognisable characters along with straightforward encouraging language presents digital marketing in a way that’s human and accessible.

“The brand identity leverages the equity of Sensis’ consumer brands and positions Sensis as the leader. The instantly recognisable character illustration brings a warmth to our brand while being flexible, helpful and, most importantly, encouraging,” – John Allan, CEO

AGDA, Finalist (Large Branding Schemes) – Sensis

Created with the team at Interbrand Australia.

Strategy, Copywriting.

Together with the team at FutureBrand Australia, I was involved in creating new employee value propositions (EVPs) for Commonwealth Bank and Bankwest.

TVC Script.

Created with the team at Interbrand Australia, I led the creation of the 'This is life' story for TAL Insurance and the resulting TVC script found in this engaging video below.

Brand voice, naming, copywriting.

Australia, like most developed nations around the world, has seen a vast increase in its population aged 55 and over. Longer life expectancy brought on by better quality of living means that the aged care sector is under pressure to meet a growing demand for care services, both in people’s homes and in residential facilities.

Consequently, the fabric of aged care in Australia is changing too as Government reforms are shifting the sector toward consumer-directed care. This means people who are in need of services will have greater control and choice, allowing them to select the service providers and facilities that they feel best meet their needs.

Transcending category cliches and the unrealistic ways in which ageing and the aged are portrayed, Southern Plus recognises the positives of the ‘third age’, highlighting the opportunity to do more with your life during a time of new found freedom. Southern Plus presents a life full of vigour, confidence and positivity combined with warmth, wisdom and experience.

The brand focuses on service features and benefits, and highlights the positive little extras from a first person perspective. At its heart, the brand is user-centric by design; it’s intentionally clean in layout. Scale and legibility of the warm typography is designed to assist a vision impaired audience digest meaningful and important information in a positive and clear manner. Colour plays the vital role of embodying positivity and helping to avoid the category cliches whilst also falling within vision impairment guidelines. 

Created with the team at FutureBrand Australia, I led the naming and brand voice components of this important rebrand.  

Campaign Idea, Naming, Campaign Strategy, Copywriting.

Intention. ACON approached us to discuss how we could best beat breast cancer within the LBQ community. They needed a heroic campaign that would bring greater awareness to the need for regular screening. The reality was that certain risk factors can increase the chance of developing breast cancer, and many of these risk factors were common in the LBQ community. These included smoking and alcohol consumption, with rates being higher for the group. Not many knew this and so it was important the campaign raised awareness of these factors while increasing screening rates as a whole.

Journey. Our journey with ACON saw us dive deep into research within the local LBQ community. We then backed this up by surfacing breast practice examples (oops, *best practice) both locally and abroad of breast cancer campaigns that have achieved the right balance of raising awareness and rewarding audiences with unique content. While these campaigns were common across the general population, targeting to the LBQ community was rare. So off we went to create a campaign that would bring our community together in the name of beating breast cancer, unique to us. Introducing ‘Our United Front’ – together, we are stronger and ‘Our United Front’ represents exactly that. It is a celebration of the spirit of collaboration in community, in being there for each other and in helping everyone to see that regular screening is something that simply cannot be overlooked. ‘Our United Front’ gathers personalities from across the community from dykes on bikes to hiking groups, sharing unique stories with a common theme on the need to screen. A rousing script carries the creative, and brings the community together as one united front against breast cancer.

That’s goodwork. At goodwork, we’re committed to the creative journeys of our clients. This new campaign for ACON saw us build on our existing client relationship to create a shift in perspective within the LBQ community around the importance of breast cancer screening. We’re proud to play our part in supporting this wonderful organisation in this most important cause.

Created with the legendary team at Goodwork.

Naming, Brand Voice, Copywriting.

151 Property (formerly Valad Property Group) is a real estate developer focused on adding value to unloved assets in the commercial and retail property sphere. In 2011 it was acquired by Blackstone, an global investment firm focussed on real estate. Consequently, the business needed to rebrand as a result of the acquisition, and the management team determined this an opportunity to refresh the experience and expression of their brand.

As we embarked on our audit and analysis of the current brand, we discovered that the ‘idea’ of 151 Property is relatively well defined, but we identified our challenge as the need to connect this with the experience of the brand – as things stood, there was a clear disconnect, one that diluted its intent and impact.

Through our thorough exploration of what 151 Property is we came to a positioning idea of the artisan. Someone whose passion for craft and eye for detail is matched by their creative approach to repositioning real-estate.

In a market of commodity real-estate, 151 Property see potential where others don’t. By tailoring bespoke strategies for each of their raw and rough edged properties, they extract the brilliant diamond within.

With a quiet confidence, 151 Property display their craft; a unique marriage of strategy and sensibility. Carefully crafting properties, relationships, and financials they pay close attention to the human details that create true value.

Their name comes from their first property purchase; 151 Castlereagh Street in Sydney. It is a building that epitomises the guiding philosophy and operational methodology of their business, one that enables the company to tailor bespoke strategies for unloved commercial property assets, and to reveal unique perspectives and undiscovered value.

With an eye for quality and attention to detail, the new name and its legacy highlight the team’s mastery of the craft of positioning to change perceptions of property in revealing and ground-breaking ways.

Created with the team at FutureBrand Australia, I led the development of the unique brand voice for 151.

Brand Strategy, Copywriting.

Intention Suzy Jacobs has a ‘portfolio career’ as a mentor, MC and co-founder of financial services company Finesque. She required a brand strategy and identity to help communicate and build her professional profile and attract a new level of clientele. We conducted a brand workshop with Suzy to determine her brand values, positioning and messaging – before embarking on an exciting new rebrand for her work.

Journey This workshop and subsequent strategy and creative work surfaced our core brand idea, ‘True to You’. ‘True to You’ not only embodies Suzy’s personal goals and vision, but reflects those of her clients. This idea was expanded into all aspects of the brand identity – from highlighting the ‘U’ in Suzy’s name, through to the photography used on her website. All of this was then applied to stationery, email signature, website as well as social media post templates for future use.

That’s goodwork Suzy is one of the most inspiring clients we’ve ever worked with. Her mission and mantra for living your best life has empowered our own business to do the same. We believe in working with those that are fearless in their pursuit for excellence, and Suzy is exactly that. She has changed the lives of hundreds of clients across Australia, and we’re proud to support her in journey of success. That’s good work.

“Their creative spirit, proactive project management and honest conversation made the team a stand out agency to work with. They provided creative and artistic strategy, listened to feedback, offered advice and delivered the brief on time. I can honestly say I loved working with them.” Suzy Jacobs

Created with the legendary team at Goodwork.

When Australia’s largest procurement company, Procurement Australia, recently moved into a high-end new Melbourne CBD office address, they decided to take an extra half-floor to create a hot-desk workspace for SME’s, start-ups and visiting interstate clients. 

Complete with sleek lines, uber-modern furniture and premium finishes, amenities and technology, the only thing missing was a cut-through brand to launch it into the world.

We named it Space Station, reflecting the idea that it was a central yet transient place where different people would come together to work side-by-side – you could say, like planets orbiting. What’s more, the fact that it’s located on the 18th floor with an incredible view of the city below and beyond certainly lent itself to the idea of being beyond the clouds, too.
 
Determined to both match the simplicity and sophistication of the space itself and the idea of ‘space’, the visual identity launched from the basic idea of ‘anti-gravity’.

Typography together with a bespoke set of minimalist icons (comprising furniture, TVs, technology, objects and plants found in the space itself) gently float around the brand, giving the subtle yet distinct impression of zero gravity in the heaven’s above. Meanwhile, a colour palette drawn directly from its finishes and furnishings within the space draw the identity together in a smart and authentic way.

Sleek, modern and delightfully simple, Space Station is an identity and spatial experience from another dimension.

Space Station launched in September 2017. 

"In many ways, our brief to create a brand for our co-working space was a blank canvas –we had a great big space in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD with great amenities but no sense of identity. That being said, with so many competitors around us, standing out was critical so we were after a suitably creative, fresh and fun solution that would catch the eye of prospective tenants (including start-ups and sole operators). FutureBrand understood our challenges and created a name and visual identity that does the trick on all fronts. Combining insight with creativity and a dash of fun, Space Station is now in orbit and we couldn’t be happier with it.”

Liz Van Doorn, Director, Strategy, Marketing & Communications

Brand Voice, Copywriting, Voiceover Work.

Pay TV costs, contracts and content were alienating audiences. SKY New Zealand and TVNZ saw the potential for a new entertainment option—a middle ground between subscription TV and free-to-air.

Our job was to turn a standard black box into a compelling and entertaining brand experience. Our idea: IGLOO. Affordable pay-as-you-go appeal, coupled with a series of playful, family-friendly, brand creatures designed to make using the service easy and fun—from explaining package options to set up and channel surfing. And we created the brand from start to finish, from positioning to naming, visual and verbal identity and rollout.

The work was a hit with audiences, and won a Bronze Design Lion at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2013.

Witty, irreverent, and distinct, the new brand unlocked a new audience of Kiwi families.

Created with the team at Interbrand Australia, I created the voice of IGLOO TV.