Neon Underwriting - Corporate identity > Firedog Brand Identity & Design Agency

The brand identity for Neon feels nothing like it's sector competitors. This was a deliberate move to differentiate the brand amongst a crowded market place.

The subsequent visual identity utilises the core nature of the brand mark yet extends it into a flexible and dynamic system.

The identity utilises a combination of bright acidic colours, combined with plenty of white in order to retain a contemporary yet controlled feel.

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the client

Inspired by the Greek word for ‘new’, Neon represents the future of specialist insurance underwriting. Neon is a managing agent at Lloyd’s of London, and whilst the brand is new, the incumbent business has been in operation since 1989. Neon is a member of the Great American Insurance Group, which operates out of Ohio, and is an American listed business with over 4 billion dollars in equity.

The Brief

Firedog in London was tasked with undertaking a complete rebrand of previous underwriting brand, Marketform. We worked together with Fable&Co, a branding agency based in Brighton, who became the client facing partner for our primarily Cape Town operation. With Martin Reith joining as CEO in 2016, rebranding and revitalising the going concern became a key strategic pillar in uplifting the business into a new era. We were to create a completely different, fresh identity - Purposely setting the brand apart from its competition within the Lloyd's trading environment.

The Solution

The core brand strategy was simply built around absolute stand-out and uniqueness in the crowded marketplace. The Neon name was deliberately chosen so that the visual identity could follow with a bright, bold and striking visual aesthetic. We were instrumental in the creation of a strategic framework, undertaking various levels of qualitative research, brand identity, messaging and both offline and online communications for offices in both central London and Bermuda.

The Results

The business has gone from strength to strength, with a complete change in product strategy and a far more savvy and forward looking approach to products and process.

Brand workshops, one to one surveys and staff research kicked off the process, culminating in an extensive strategic framework.
Our brand mood boards focused on usages of iconic, simplistic, bold and colourful symbols. Standout was our key objective.
Neon is a wonderfully simple name, connected to an entire world of properties and meanings. We wanted to express its exuberant nature through hand cut type and icons.
The client was quite keen on using a combination of icon and typography. We explored various styles of type and form.
The creative brand concepts became all linked to a bold, striking aesthetic.
The final brand mark relies on hand cut rounded type, combined with a symbol which both reflects the initial N character as well as the tubular nature of Neon bulbs.
A single colour version of the mark was created afresh, to be used for etching, merchandising and single colour print.
We created the symbol in three dimensions, for usage in signage and wayfinding. In this way, we could replicate the transparency in the static mark utilising overlapping planes.
We wanted to create a unique image treatment for the brand. We became fascinated with imagery where the photographer had distorted colour channels to create unique effects.
As with most brands on a budget, Neon were reticent to spend money on a shoot. Therefore, we created ownership of basic stock imagery with a unique 'Neonised' treatment.
The image treatment allows the business to acquire basic stock imagery, yet create an entirely memorable spin, by inverting the image into a posterized negative.
A big part of the core briefing was to create physical standout in the crowded Lloyd's marketplace. Here is the sign on the trading floor in London.
The digital channel for Neon is cohesively linked by usage of the dynamic imagery and clear, bright typography.
We have been working together with both London and Bermuda offices. Here is an advertising campaign for the America's Cup sailing event.
The print and stationery look and feel is simple, bright and bold. We utilised a contemporary rounded germanic font to add to the overall feel.
The graphic devices can be used on their own, or they can also be used dynamically to hold various treated imagery.
The branding process was supported by a comprehensive brand, spirit, communications and digital guideline kit.
Overall, we are very pleased with the overall impact of the simple, yet bold, identity.

The brand identity for Neon feels nothing like it's sector competitors. This was a deliberate move to differentiate the brand amongst a crowded market place.
The subsequent visual identity utilises the core nature of the brand mark yet extends it into a flexible and dynamic system.
The identity utilises a combination of bright acidic colours, combined with plenty of white in order to retain a contemporary yet controlled feel.
Brand workshops, one to one surveys and staff research kicked off the process, culminating in an extensive strategic framework.
Our brand mood boards focused on usages of iconic, simplistic, bold and colourful symbols. Standout was our key objective.
Neon is a wonderfully simple name, connected to an entire world of properties and meanings. We wanted to express its exuberant nature through hand cut type and icons.
The client was quite keen on using a combination of icon and typography. We explored various styles of type and form.
The creative brand concepts became all linked to a bold, striking aesthetic.
The final brand mark relies on hand cut rounded type, combined with a symbol which both reflects the initial N character as well as the tubular nature of Neon bulbs.
A single colour version of the mark was created afresh, to be used for etching, merchandising and single colour print.
We created the symbol in three dimensions, for usage in signage and wayfinding. In this way, we could replicate the transparency in the static mark utilising overlapping planes.
We wanted to create a unique image treatment for the brand. We became fascinated with imagery where the photographer had distorted colour channels to create unique effects.
As with most brands on a budget, Neon were reticent to spend money on a shoot. Therefore, we created ownership of basic stock imagery with a unique 'Neonised' treatment.
The image treatment allows the business to acquire basic stock imagery, yet create an entirely memorable spin, by inverting the image into a posterized negative.
A big part of the core briefing was to create physical standout in the crowded Lloyd's marketplace. Here is the sign on the trading floor in London.
The digital channel for Neon is cohesively linked by usage of the dynamic imagery and clear, bright typography.
We have been working together with both London and Bermuda offices. Here is an advertising campaign for the America's Cup sailing event.
The print and stationery look and feel is simple, bright and bold. We utilised a contemporary rounded germanic font to add to the overall feel.
The graphic devices can be used on their own, or they can also be used dynamically to hold various treated imagery.
The branding process was supported by a comprehensive brand, spirit, communications and digital guideline kit.
Overall, we are very pleased with the overall impact of the simple, yet bold, identity.