Hangxiang Calligraphy

Below: Before and After Images in Slide Show, Video, Summary, Credits

At present, the domestic children training market is more than 30 billion people, and it is growing at the rate of 30% per year. The current number of children aged 2-12 in China is over 220 million. Calligraphy and traditional culture-related education has become a new favorite training area for children. As one of the earliest professional brands engaged in Oriental education, Hanxiang has trained more than 110,000 students and is a well-known brand in the education industry.

The old brand visual identity was too old. Although the primary audience of the brand is children, the existing brand was not lively and did not drive interest. Compared to competitors, the lack of a unique brand personality and careless application of brand elements in the stores made the brand weak. Some questions considered for the rebranding initiative: How to standardize the brand through visual management? How to align the brand image and experience with brand value? How to empower brand value through brand image?

A key challenge was on how to integrate aesthetic education into life, inspire interest, and motivate willingness in children to learn and understand the culture. This was the starting point of our design. We made the graphic of the character “Han (汉)” more modern and friendly, and made it the brand identification symbol. We designed a grid system that extracted from Chinese tradition (琴棋书画), which is rich and variable, but easy for management.

We combined auxiliary graphics and illustrations extracted from brush calligraphy writing and students’ paintings, forming a set of elements and inspiration for the branding system. We used the traditional seasonal solar terms colors to make the system more lively, flexible, and easy to extend. In addition, inspired by the shape of the writing brush, we designed a brand new mascot image for the brand, that is simple and lovely. The mascot also helps the brand to communicate.

The new brand identity published at the 9th Anniversary Works Exhibition of Hanxiang Brand, was loved by the students, parents and the media. This important upgrade not only changed the brand’s visual components. It also conveys the new brand strategy for the next 10 years which integrate these concepts: Traditional Chinese learning doesn’t mean heavy and serious; Oriental aesthetics nourish lives; Make children’s traditional skills learning popular; Aesthetic education inspires modern daily lives.