Brief Explanation

Many say they are 'global networks'. Often it boils down to an aggregation of merely local agencies. In our case it's different. People from 12 nations, with working experience in 49 markets, and responsibility for 106 countries. We needed a tool to casually but distinctively deliver this message across a wide variety of materials. Hence creating a unique typeface to be used for office design/signage and collateral materials felt like the right way to go - exciting the team (creating identity), informing clients and suppliers (updating perception) and reaching out to other network offices (displaying global understanding).

The Brief

Create an identity tool that underlines the multinational setup and global perspective of the new hub team of GREY Singapore responsible for running regional and global GSK business. This is a key business unit and it is positioned as a global hub team facing suppliers, clients and all other network offices.

How the final design was conceived

The multinational typeface is a display font based on two parameters: it abstracts the geometric shapes as well as the colors found in national flags. Each country a team member comes from, has worked in and all countries we are now responsible for are represented via the first letter of the country name. Thus the fond does not have 26 letters but 106 that can be used in combination. It creates an interesting balance of global and local by default: no letter/country works on its own - making it an ideal tool to convey purpose and openness.

Indication of how successful the outcome was in the market

The font instantly created impact and had a unifying effect for the team as it was used for the actual office design and for in office collateral. More importantly, it already 100% uplifted the perception of the new team - clients are seeing and feeling a difference: this new team is truly different; it 'gets' the world (based on client evaluations pre and post). Other offices are responding positively to the fact that the team really is worldlier. Also the "world's first multinational typeface" has received wide coverage: thousands of online views, hundreds of positive blog posts and articles.