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PolarStar - Commodity fund brand identity

The incumbent brand identity lacked punch and cut through. As part of the creative process, we redesigned the brand mark to convey strength and consistency.

We tackled the design of the brand mark by retaining a focused strategic narrative, informed by the two name elements as well as the core business offer.

The brand logotype consists of a red star device nested neatly within the negative space of the initial character. Whilst we had created a wide number of options, we deliberately went for a classically minimal treatment.

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the client

PolarStar are commodity investors specialising in relative value strategies. They blend fundamental and quantitative expertise to produce returns which have low correlations to major market indices.

The Brief

We were briefed on taking an existing brand and building a far more solid, bold, and consistent identity. We delivered research, strategic framework, brand and visual identity system, supporting collateral and communications design and a new website.

The Solution

We ascertained that the PolarStar brand reputation and category recall is strong, yet the incumbent branding contained an inconstant proposition and a weak brand and visual identity system. Our brief was to build a dynamic yet formal brand to take on the most established European and American institutions. We studied the market and competitive landscape, went through the target audience behaviours, analysed the onboarding brand experience. We established that credibility and longevity is a required perception in a sector that has been through a large amount of attrition and upheaval. We strengthened the overall feel of the brand mark and cut back on embellishment in order to convey a strict sense of unity and control. We developed a stronger colour palette which combined a deep anchor blue colour offset by a vibrant and internationally positioned warm red colour. The resulting identity uses this strong colour and a clear / simple visual system which ensures a perception of capability and class.

The Results

The new brand and online experience far exceeds the capabilities of the incumbent brand and now positions the business as an eminent specialist in their field.

We unearthed existing positive brand attributes and refined them into strategic pillars of reason.

The branding can also be used as a decorative device whereby only the P initial and star element is used in conjunction with a blue line which anchors the element to page margins.

The stationery uses the punchy combination of dark blue, red and white to create a primary elemental feel.

We explored a number of conceptual approaches to the visual identity - mostly exploring abstracted earth elements.

Even though all the imagery has an aerial perspective , it still allows for much variety in the branding.

When it comes to corporate application, the brand is represented in a classically clean layout system. The linear device is used to add a light touch of detailing.

The brand look and feel is comprised of bold colours, interesting imagery and contemporary typography.

The branded website uses a simple structure yet creates depth with dynamic and animated page content.

The chosen image identity utilises dynamic aerial and birds eye photography which conveys a real strategic feel.

The website uses clearly demarcated and separated areas of image, content and charting in order to aid ease of information delivery.

The website ensures all fund information is held within one page journey, but utilises accordion behaviours for both access and interest.

The use of aerial imagery conveys an analytical and methodical feel. This links to the notion of using quant methodologies in ascertaining planetary conditions.

The PolarStar website is built in responsive templates which ensure a consistent look across all devices.

The resulting brand is systematically controlled by an extensive brand spirit and design guideline kit.

The primary brand colours are always conservatively rendered in order to keep the brand looking clean and simple.

We provided extensive support in the design of corporate and fund based client reporting. A number of Microsoft templates were provided as workable publishing assets.