Below: Before and After Images in Slide Show, Summary, Credits
New Zealand’s top commercial law firm, Russell McVeagh, was founded in 1836 and has earned a reputation as the most uncompromising firm in the market.
The firm had modernized and ‘rounded the edges’, but they needed a clear, unequivocal expression of this evolution to the market.
Our consultation (workshops, interviews with staff, clients and a working party of 32 representatives) identified themes of teamwork, fresh insightful thinking and cut-through.
Russell McVeagh needed a rebrand and an internal culture program that repositioned them as client champions who inspire confidence: self-assured, but not pretentious; sharp, but not cold. The brand needed humanizing while retaining its authority.
The brave design departs from traditional legal branding conventions. Strategic themes of ‘seeing what others don’t’ and ‘partnership’ inspired the underlying triangular grid on top of which the ultramodern word mark was crafted — leaving key letterforms unfinished and creating visual cut-through. Black was mandatory, but the unexpected, softer teal accent color stands out in an industry full of red or metallic harder color accents.
Our clients said, “Our confident new look has distinguished us and continues to set us apart in operating on the cutting edge of legal practice. The project sparked such engagement, energy and collaboration of ideas, and the results have been extremely well received by clients and staff alike. Aligning with our firm’s passionate, original and collaborative approach, the revised brand has achieved all it set out to and more.”
Client: Russell McVeagh – www.russellmcveagh.com
Brand Strategists/Designers: Principals – www.principals.com.au
Creative Director: Jodine Bell
Senior Designer: James Powell
Senior Designer: Goran Raukar
Director: Tessa Shaw
Strategy Director: Jo Knight
Account Director: Jo Hanson
Writer: Scott Lawrie
