4 minute read
West London Chambers New Brand Identity
West London Chambers of Commerce
New brand identity for West London Chambers
Hounslow Chamber of Commerce came into being through uniting Feltham, Hounslow and Chiswick Chambers whilst also working on joint events with Ealing and Hammersmith and Fulham Chambers.
London Chamber has now asked that they also offer this fully joined-up Chamber service to Ealing and Hammersmith & Fulham - which they are proud to do under the banner of a dynamic new organisation, now known as West London Chambers of Commerce.
It is a rebranding for the modern age, creating a powerful body that aims to both help existing businesses expand and find new opportunities that will allow them to generate employment and prosperity, and encourage new start-ups by giving them the support and resources they need to meet the challenges created by an ever-evolving, highly competitive marketplace.
To guarantee continued success in the future, it is vital that cities ‘think smart’ - on everything from ecology to technology. Uniting the three boroughs means they can do exactly that - and afford all the businesses within their borders the space they need to grow and thrive, with the wider community benefitting from not just an increase in employment, but also from property development and the myriad other opportunities expansion generates on and around our high streets
When Hounslow Chamber of Commerce invited Simon Inc Ltd to pitch for the job of designing a new brand identity for West London Chambers, we saw it as a tremendous creative opportunity, but one which brought with it several fundamental challenges.
How could we represent Ealing and Hammersmith & Fulham without losing our Hounslow roots? How can we leverage the international and historical reputation of the Chambers of Commerce and at the same time present a new, energetic, forward-thinking brand? How can we appeal to a new generation of entrepreneurs and “smart” businesses without alienating our existing and established membership base? How can we reflect the wealth of experience that Hounslow Chamber brings in terms of international trade and expertise, and at the same time reassure West London businesses that the Chamber is here for them, to represent local issues and concerns.
We started the branding process by working with the Chambers’ leadership team to really consolidate the strategic positioning of the new organisation: what are the core attributes of the brand, the benefits that it brings to its’ members, what is the personality and character that we want to convey. How should West London Chambers of Commerce sound when they talk about themselves.
Once we had established a robust positioning platform for the new organisation, we were able to start working on the visual identity, ensuring that it supports that position throughout its’ evolution.
We focused on creating a bold, dynamic logomark, developed as a visual representation of the convergence of the three boroughs, Hounslow, Ealing, and Hammersmith & Fulham. Three bars merge and intersect to create a star shaped mark, and at its’ heart, a triangle forming a Westward-pointing arrowhead.
The logotype is Cairo. It is contemporary and highly legible, with a professional, almost technical precision, but it still remains friendly and approachable. It features variable weights and supports a range of languages and scripts including Arabic, Farsi and Urdu.
We retained continuity with the Hounslow Chamber of Commerce branding through a predominantly blue colour palette, supported by a limited range of dark neutrals and brighter highlight colours.
The Westward-pointing arrowhead is highlighted in vibrant red and orange, and there is a secondary arrowhead created by a darker shade of blue; an upward-pointing arrow, representing the dynamism, progress, growth, and energy of businesses in West London.
In the modern business environment, brand identities must be flexible and adaptable to be usable across the wide range of platforms and channels, within the offline world and in the digital space.
So, we designed a range of lockups for the logotype and logomark, with options for use against white or dark backgrounds, and a graphic language that can evolve and reconfigure as we start to use the new branding.
We created a design guidelines document to outline the key brand assets that make up the visual identity and graphic language, and the basic principles for using them in a consistent and effective way.
It is an exciting time for West London Chambers of Commerce, and it is exciting for us to play a part in it. We have created a contemporary brand identity which is anchored in the core values of being Local & Global, Inclusive, Collaborative, Connected, Expert & Trusted, and which is reflective of the brand personality traits of being Progressive, Dynamic, Approachable, Empowering and Diplomatic.
I am looking forward to seeing how this visual identity takes its’ place in the world, how it is received and how it develops over time and with use.
