Client: Latitude50
Date: August 2016

Cornwall boasts an increasing number of agencies specialising in self-catering holiday accommodation, so in order to attract new customers it’s vital to stand out from the competition.

Latitude50, a holiday letting agency with a focus on coastal properties in north Cornwall, approached us with just this challenge. Taking a bespoke approach to the project, we fashioned a distinctive new identity reflective of both the brand’s reputation for quality and its modern nautical edge.

The end result is a clean, practical and stylish typographic mark that, combined with excellent photography, a clear tone of voice and high-quality materials, has helped the team to communicate their difference.

Beaches along the Camel Estuary.

Photography

We commissioned photography under our artistic direction to create an honest depiction of Cornwall, encompassing its beauty in all seasons. Working with photographer Rebecca Rees we’ve helped generate a large library of images that gives Latitude50 flexibility across a wide range of marketing materials.

A family walks along a beach at low tide, with boats balancing on the sand.
Long grass waving in the wind.
A woman looks through a folder at her desk in Latitude50's bright office space.
The legs of a young man who's sitting on a wall of old, lichen-covered stones.
Sheets of linocut illustration prints.
A half-finished linocut piece.
Linocut prints, a roller and other illustration tools.

Illustration

We commissioned illustrator and printmaker Edward Farley to create a bank of unique linocut images for Latitude50. These can be used in a supporting role, to punctuate content or as larger visuals to be celebrated. They add extra personality and freshness to the brand, balancing its tone of voice and photography.

A linocut print of a Cornish fishing boat.
A linocut print of a tree.
A linocut print of a skiff.
A linocut print of three mussels.
A full range of stationery for Latitude50 made by Nixon Design.

Stationery

The new identity extends the sentiment of ‘50’ to mean one of two halves (50%), reflecting Latitude50’s role as a facilitator for both property owners and tenants. This is expressed through the layouts of branded materials, which feature dividing lines and symmetrical spaces. The classically orientated mark distills this concept while also conveying a sense of longevity. The stationery in particular offered a fantastic opportunity to apply the flexible colour palette that was based on the archetypal tones of the Cornish land- and seascape.

Latitude50 business cards.
The Latitude50 logo as a letterhead.
Latitude50's shortened 'L 50' logo, embossed on card.
A fold-out property flyer from Latitude50.
A printed page from the Latitude 50 brand design guidelines, showing the logo and colourways.
The dining table in a Latitude50 property.
Cushions on a bed.
The Latitude50 owners' guide and business card in a sleeve.
The Latitude50 owners' guide.
Latitude50's contact details printed on their owners' guide.

Guide for owners

Much like the stationery, the owners' guide gave Latitude50 the opportunity to express a sense of quality through specialist papers and print finishes. We devised a creative and cost-effective binding method that allows for individual pages to be easily updated and alternated. Through considered copywriting on key pages, we helped to communicate the offer for owners in an attractive way.

A double spread from inside the Latitude50 owners' guide.
A spread on the cost of letting a property in the Latitude50 owners' guide.
A double-page spread on the the letting journey in the owners' guide from Latitude50.
A two-page spread in the Latitude50 owners' guide.

Website

The application of the new brand included the design and development of a responsive website. Following an in-depth user experience design process, we created a site that is innovative and accessible. The new site features an easy-to-use CMS (content management system) that enables the Latitude50 team to update their site whenever they need to. We added a user-friendly booking system for holidaymakers, as well as inspirational features on the regions where customers can find Latitude50 properties.

Implementing our concept for the brand tone of voice, we also offered copywriting and editing across the site to make sure that the written content was consistent with the brand personality.

The result? More users now visit the site, and enjoy the depth of content available when they do. Website sessions increased by 35% after launch (during August and September 2016) compared to the previous year, with page views up by 75%.

The Latitude50 website mocked up on mobile.
The Latitude50 website menu mocked up on mobile.
A page from the Latitude50 website mocked up on an iPhone.
The 'explore' section on the Latitude50 website mocked up on tablet.
The property search feature on the Latitude50 website, mocked up on tablet.
The Latitude50 website homepage.

Animation by Lightbox Inc.

Katy Austin, Marketing Manager, Latitude50

Embarking on a rebranding project coupled with developing a brand new website is a huge undertaking and there is no one I would rather have partnered with than Nixon Design. They have a fantastic team with all the skills you could need to call upon for a project of this nature. They have produced a high-quality, visually interesting and unique brand that sets us apart from the competition. I can’t recommend them highly enough.