THE BAKER ID – Inside the creative process
PART 2: BrandVIS™ — Visualizing the Brand
In Part 1 we examined the 3 “simple” questions that led our team to make some basic conclusions: 1 – BAKER is, first and foremost, a culture of creative individuals, 2 – we believe in endless possibilities for an ever changing world, and 3 – we are creative to the core, at the core of great creative. In part 2 we’ll take a look at what that means visually, and how those 3 conclusions guided us to the solution that is the new Baker Identity.
As is often the case, the answers from the questions in part 1 led directly to our asking more questions:
1ST: WHAT DOES BAKER LOOK LIKE?
Believe it or not, this particular solution to such a simple question took over 20 years to materialize in its current state. While developing the new look for the BAKER identity the challenge presented to our internal task force was “How do we represent such a diverse culture of creative individuals while maintaining a unique, respectable and consistent brand agency appearance?” The most elegant solution to this unique challenge was inherently found within the question: BAKER needed a flexible identity.
To be clear, the approach of creating a flexible identity is in no way revolutionary in it’s own right. In fact, during the course of their research our brand team was able to uncover evidence of flexible approaches to branding dating back as far as the mid 1950’s where a consistent brand tone was preferred over a singular, consistent brand mark. It also became quite apparent, through a series of intense discussions, that while flexible identities are one approach to branding and are certainly not for everyone, this one is for us.
The philosophy behind the BAKER identity then became remarkably simple – ‘dress for the ocassion’. That means no tuxedos at the beach, and no pajamas at the office. As a culture of creative branding professionals we should know when to dress our brand up and when to let our hair down and have a brand that allows us to do both. This became a motivating and recurring theme as we developed the 3 levels of the new BAKER identity.
2ND: WHO IS OUR BRAND CHARACTER?
Upon turning our branding lenses inward, we realized that the diversity of our creative culture could essentially be boiled down into three distinct categories:
LEVEL ONE: THE BAKERIAN EXEC
This is our buttoned-up look and the default approach for the visual execution of the BAKER brand. It is all business and classically refined, much like wearing a fine suit to make a solid first impression. When in doubt, we always refer back to this base level as a jumping off point for the BAKER brand.
LEVEL TWO: THE BAKERITES
In this, our mid-level approach, the BAKER brand becomes a much more colorful and vibrant character. Still rooted in the professionalism and trustworthy demeanor associated with our base level, this second level demonstrates that we know how to have fun, how to be professional, and how to balance the two extremes. Level two is the metaphorical equivalent of pairing a respectable sport coat with a funky print beneath — a creative twist on an old classic.
LEVEL THREE: THE BAKERIES
Our third and final level is where we showcase the height of our creativity. This is our let-your-hair-down-and-have-a-good-time approach. It is far more free and uninhibited than the previous two levels, and is therefore reserved for when we wish to demonstrate our devotion to imaginative possibilities rather than our reserved, professional side. It is the artist within all of us “running with scissors” as Scott would say.
With the answers to all of the previous questions in mind, our team began testing the boundaries and defining the parameters for each branding level of the flexible BAKER identity.
Tune back in soon for the finale — Part 3: BrandEX™ — Executing the Vision.
One Comment