It’s fresh. But does it work?
Just today, thanks to a tip from Toronto agency punk Dave Jones (thanks Dave!), I came across the project below sponsored by American Public Radio International (PRI) radio program Studio 360. The goal: to re-package Canada’s brand for Americans. Tall order, and I think they *mostly* nailed… something here. But what do you think? Love it? Hate it? Beg to Differ in the comments!
But before you weigh in on the success or failure of the exercise, check out these four things:
1) A Summary: from Studio 360 of how it worked and what they were after:
To get beyond hockey, beer, and Mounties, we asked the international firm Bruce Mau Design to come up with a visual rebranding. As part of its research, the BMD team talked with Scott Thompson of the sketch comedy group The Kids in the Hall who summed up the issue simply: “We know you, but you don’t know us.”
“Canada didn’t need to be rebranded or redesigned,” explains BMD President and CEO Hunter Tura. “America needed to be educated. And that is the basis for our campaign: Know Canada.”
2) The brief: to read a more full explanation, click the image below for the agency’s presentation in PDF format:
3) The video teaser ad: the YouTube Video below shows how the idea would play out in multimedia format.
The big question: does it work for you?
- Visual appeal: does the logo and design system create a memorable foundation for Canada’s brand?
- Tag line: do the words “Know Canada” work for you? What do they say – or not say – about us?
- Sustainability: can this really work as a brand – or is it just a clever campaign?
- Customers: Who is it actually aimed at, and more importantly, for what purpose (i.e. who would pay to roll this out? Tourism? Trade? Canadian Chamber of Commerce?
Update: Oh, and for some more fun summer reading, you can also check out the “Know Canada” Web site here, other 360 Redesign Projects, and the paired Redesigning Project with Jian Gomeshi and CBC Radio Q taking on brand USA . Great discussion on the Brand New blog a few days ago. Articles by Huffington Post, National Post, and Here and Elsewhere.