If there’s one thing that we all took from the Jacksons rebranding project, it’s what an exceptionally nice bunch of people they are to work with. Pete, Sharon and Chas approached us seeking a brand identity that would set Jacksons apart from others in the finance sector. And, when we sat down with the whole team across two brand workshops, it became immediately clear how true this is. The end result (take a look for yourself) is something that we all feel pleased with: the product of genuine, open-minded, creative collaboration.

We’d worked with the team at Lemongrass once before, when we joined forces on a travel branding project for Slow Adventure. So, it was a real compliment that when it came to revisiting their own brand, they asked us to help. We brought together design, content and brand strategy to create updated brand values, tone of voice, and visual identity, before rolling this out across a new website, copywriting and a brand video.

Though the final outputs are still under wraps for now, we’ve been busy throughout 2023 working on a new brand identity, website design and copywriting for the Trewithen estate. As we write this, we’re just finishing up, and we couldn’t be happier – from initial brand strategy through to illustration, signage, and website UX, it’s all coming together in beautiful harmony.

This has been a milestone year for Pendennis, as the shipyard celebrated its 35th birthday, along with 25 years of its award-winning apprenticeship scheme, and five years at its Vilanova base, just outside Barcelona. We worked with the Pendennis team to create a celebratory 35-year logo, as well as designing their in-house Voyage magazine, a new website for Vilanova and collateral for the Monaco Yacht Show.

An annual tradition in its own right, the Tresco Times is one of the enduringly high points of our year. This must-have brand journal has the rare power of “selling” the Tresco experience without really “selling” it at all. Through beautifully art-directed photography, genuinely interesting stories and a clean, simple design, the Tresco Times has become a microcosm of island life for everyone that receives it.

But of course, though the year itself comes to an end, we’re still in the midst of several projects. Next year, we’re looking forward to sharing branding work for the Ardtornish Estate in Morvern, Scotland. Other projects are still very much under our hats, including brand definition for a major Cornish name and print design for a bespoke luxury furniture brand. Watch this space (and our social media) to see more.

It’s fair to say that this has been a real year of change for us – and that’s something that brings great potential while also being a challenge in itself. We’ve been taking a long-overdue look at our own branding, starting from the ground up: asking ourselves all those questions we usually fire at our clients (sorry, folks). What do we believe in? Where do we want to be? And what are we best at? We’ve refocused our team to our core strengths of brand thinking, design and content: positioning ourselves in the sweet spot where all these skills converge to create truly compelling brand stories. We’d be lying if we said this was easy, but it’s a new chapter that we’re excited about.

In our first full year as an Employee Ownership Trust, we took the course of forging our own path, building on the last 30 years since it was founded by Martin Nixon. He will play a part in our future as one of the trustees of the EOT.

So, here’s to a new year incoming – to strides along our B Corp journey, to projects in the pipeline, and a fresh perspective on how we’re working.  

With Christmas closing in, we’ll pause for the holidays from Friday 22nd December to Tuesday 2nd January. We’ll see you all on the other side, and until then, we wish you a joyous season and a healthy, happy New Year.