May 30, 2017

At times, companies need a complete overhaul to their mark - perhaps due to an excessively tired look, perhaps due to a disconnect between the brand and the design. Other times, all that a brand needs is a subtle adjustment that modernizes the composition, lifts the logo standards and strengthens the relevance to what they do.

Life Stewardship Advisors approached Hamilton with the need to refresh their brand. Their original logo had a cherished history since the design was created by a family member close to the firm. The symbol also held strong throughout the years that the practice has operated and was used to reference their financial planning philosophy of Life Stewardship.

We embraced the history of the look while pushing the design forward, making the logo more workable in all media settings. We adopted a more neutral color palette and removed the gradient on the wheat to make the object flat, more in line with the modern design trends. We selected typography that was the appropriate balance between the traditional background of the firm while also creating a more current and contemporary feel. We also reoriented the layout to improve the composition and strengthened the “Stewardship” text to draw attention to their unique philosophy.

May 17, 2017

When Providence approached Hamilton with an enthusiastic dream to rebrand the firm and launch a new website in time for their 25th anniversary six months away, we couldn’t be more excited. We knew the task was ambitious but we were on board. We loved what they were trying to do and we knew why they saw this as a milestone moment to move their brand forward.

We reacted quickly, assembled the components we needed, gathered the critical data, made swift calculated moves and after almighty efforts from both our client and our team, we’re proud to say that together we forged an impressive enhanced brand and an equally powerful website. We’re truly grateful to the Providence team for their willingness to involve their staff and clients in the process and for the opportunity to share in this extraordinary moment.

As with each client’s branding project, so much thought and intentionality goes into the creation of the final brand destination. Providence best describes that journey in their blog post here: http://www.proveng.com/newsroom/entry/25th-anniversary. 

Here’s a quick glance at the brand before launch and after…

Original Providence Logo:

New Providence Logo:

Original Providence Website:

New Providence Website:

Congratulations again to the Providence team on their new brand, their new site and 25 remarkable years in serving the community!

May 12, 2017

HubSpot did a great job pulling together a collection of GIFs that we’re sure will resonate with anyone charged with the responsibility of writing content for their organization. We had a few empathetic laughs ourselves. Here’s a favorite of ours…

When someone says the content will be easy

via GIPHY

Content regularly comes up in our conversations around branding, site design, collateral strategy, etc. Their post also shares a few valuable tips on how to become a better writer.

This fun diversion also serves as a good reminder on the value of strategic, well-planned copy. As we work with companies on their brand, it’s so often that the elements of the logo, the design, the video, the website, the photography take every inch of real estate within a company’s branding project. Rightfully so in many ways - they are the lifeblood of the brand, and the visuals deliver that all-important first impression. That said, copy and voice should be just as much a part of the brand suite.

Stating the obvious - it’s typically not. Brands can often try to tackle this in-house. Using individuals who rarely write, trying to piecemeal content from legends-of-old, shelving the task until the eleventh hour and so on. And - we get it! It’s hard for companies to trust the writing of their most sacred technical processes, their strongest characteristics, their time-tested mission statements to anyone either outside the firm or to someone without a long chain of superlatives behind their name. It also tends to be a common area where firms feel they have opportunity to shortcut either the budget or the time.

Copy is the voice of your brand. The company’s content should all tie back to your core benefits, your unique value proposition, your differentiators, what you’re most passionate about. And of course should always integrate SEO and digital marketing implications. Copywriting takes an intentional, well-thought-out content strategy birthed from the brand tenets. Entrust individuals within your organization who get these fundamentals, who know how to position your content; and/or enlist seasoned professionals who know how this is done.   

Your brand deserves a strong, authentic and deliberate voice.

April 07, 2017

We’re thrilled to reveal our work creating the brand for R.HARBOR, a niche children’s company and champions of classic, quality apparel.  Started by two moms who were frustrated by dysfunctional children’s attire…they appreciated cute clothes, but modesty wasn’t working with how kids move and groove. They also believe that “we all deserve clothing that lasts longer than the brief moments of silence in our households.” The clothing line is being introduced to the market for the first time through their Facebook page and a welcome splash page at www.rharbor.com.

Our brand journey started with founders Lindsay and Courtney as we discovered their love of Nantucket, all things nautical and classic styling. After our discussion it was clear to us that we needed to design a mark that would subtly hint at a nautical feel without pushing too adult or conversely lean too cutesy. We also needed something versatile, just as fitting on a pink garment as it would be on a navy garment. We listened to their vision and after many iterations - the result is a timeless, sophisticated and classy identity that will fit right in with the quality of their apparel.

We’re grateful for the opportunity to partner with R.HARBOR on their brand and more updates will be coming soon. Our team is currently working on developing their full site which will feature the Classic Harbor tank and shorts for active girls to wear over and over - all year long. Stay tuned!

March 14, 2017

Last Tuesday, March 7, one of the heavy-hitters in the agency business, McCann New York and their client, State Street Global Advisors (SSGA), quietly introduced a new statue, “The Fearless Girl,” to the famed charging bull of Wall Street. Chances are you’ve already heard about it - the installment gained instant blanket media attention. It’s also peppered across social channels and the statue itself has a consistent, dedicated crowd; each looking to grab their turn at a selfie. Just check out the live bull cam.   

So why did they do it? What’s the motivation? ADWEEK wrote a story on why the agency and its client ‘dropped’ the statue. In short, they hoped to symbolize the power of women in leadership and intentionally tied the stunt to International Women’s Day last Wednesday. The agency chose a girl instead of a woman to create something “relatable” and “universal.” Their approach aimed to capture a “David and Goliath sentiment” with a calculated placement in front of the menacing and significantly larger bull of Wall Street. 

Both the agency and client indicated through statements that they were trying to inspire others in taking steps to increase women’s leadership. Although these statements are all heavily prepped for the media, it’s clear that this campaign’s sole mission was not driving revenue or drawing overt attention to the company’s offerings. Of course the company has a relevant, even obvious, connection to supporting women with an ETF [exchange-traded fund] called SHE, which only invests in companies with women in leadership. But look at what’s really happening here: they’re working incredibly hard to create something grander. A movement that connects deeply with our emotions, a moment that won’t be forgotten anytime soon, a visual that will make its way to countless personal social feeds.

Make no mistake - this kind of stunt requires huge dollars: A big New York agency, the commissioning of a sculptor, securing the permits, arranging the installer etc. etc. There’s no question that all parties involved needed to think about the bottom line and the long term impact. That said, the team involved got the bigger picture here - they knew they were onto something big and they knew that they could create something that would continue to live on for a very long time. It’s the convergence of something emotional and something we can connect to that leads us back to the brand in a much more powerful way.

There are so many things that we love about this campaign. The incredible work of art from sculptor, Kristen Visbal, that so perfectly demonstrates a strong girl running up to face the bull. The impeccable timing of this installment with International Women’s Day. The deep emotional connection they were able to achieve by choosing an innocent girl - especially coming from my perspective as a dad of 5 daughters. And an overarching goal of something far grander than ROI.

Thanks for your leadership SSGA and McCann - you taught us how to be fearless in so many ways. 

A post shared by Tim Nesbitt (@neverclickingthat) on Mar 11, 2017 at 7:59am PST

A post shared by TheDustyRebel (@dustyrebel) on Mar 12, 2017 at 3:39pm PDT

A post shared by Chantal Hopper (@chantalbrianne) on Mar 13, 2017 at 7:09pm PDT

A post shared by Eston Junior (@eclarephoto) on Mar 14, 2017 at 9:36am PDT

February 13, 2017

We’re thrilled to share that Hamilton has won the branding and strategy work for Providence Engineering Corporation. Established in Pennsylvania in 1992, the firm provides structural engineering design and analysis services to the building design and construction industry. Providence is committed to a business model void of “middle management” that leads to timely responses and facilitates the project moving forward on time and on budget.

With significant recent growth and the addition of office locations, it’s an exciting time at Providence. Their business and staff is growing and their services are diversifying. It’s for these reasons, in part, that they are exploring a refresh to their brand strategy and to expand their presence in the marketplace.

Providence’s initiative comes just ahead of their 25th anniversary which the firm will celebrate in April. We look forward to helping to make an impact in the next chapter for Providence. 

February 02, 2017

Everest Care Management is a case management firm that focuses on the management of workplace injuries. They came to Hamilton sharing frustrations with the dated look, confusing navigation and lack of resources on their site.

We put our team to work building design elements that spoke to ECM’s long-established brand. The angular technique used in their logo to emphasize the “Everest” reference, was mirrored through a scrolling shape design that mimics a mountain landscape. We also introduced a new accent color into the color palette that helped to bring a new vibrancy to the site compared to it’s former cold color environment.

We also helped the firm simplify the user experience on their contact forms as well as introduced the benefit of a blog stream.

Click here to see full project >

January 17, 2017

CFC is a Christian Missionary Alliance church based in Lancaster that was first planted in 1992. From it’s inception, CFC sought to be a church that makes disciples in a relevant and culture engaging way. Along those lines, the church leadership team had identified an interest in making the website more user-friendly and ultimately more applicable to their mission and updated vision.

Before we approached the design of the site, it was important to revisit the church’s current brand. Identifying the need for some enhancements to the design, we created a tweaked version of the logo. Our goal was to preserve the foundational history of the church’s identity while also nudging the design towards a modern and relevant look that spoke to their mission.

The typography we selected helped to modernize the look but also fits the clean design approach that the church embraces. With the text, we helped to emphasize the “Community Fellowship” words, another important goal for CFC. Moving on to the symbol design, while modernizing the design lines, we included an intentional subtle reference to a building appearing within the negative space. This re-emphasizes CFC’s core belief of building community, and the critical need of individuals, businesses and residences alike working together for missional living.

January 05, 2017

We’re pleased to announce a creative partnership with Lancaster-based RETTEW Engineering. RETTEW is ranked by Engineering News-Record as one of the top design firms in the U.S. and has nine offices across the country. Their multidisciplinary engineering consulting offerings span more than 450 services, providing technical solutions to support infrastructure, industry, and communities all around us. The firm is known for integrating their core values of: integrity, safety, relationships, excellence, and stewardship.

Hamilton will provide site design and brand strategy to help the firm deliver a fresh approach to their website experience.