Visiting Professional: Commission

Talk by Christopher Moorby and Ian Prentice

Client Relationships, concept development and the pitching process 

• Main interest in fashion and menswear with a focus on fashion branding 
• Important to consider how identities change and develop
• Not a branding studio they are Graphic Designers 
• Explore a range of design formats from print to branding 
• Work for companies with strong creative ambition 
• Money doesn't matter a range of big clients and smaller startups 
• Smaller start ups tend to be more demanding jobs - need more advice and support
• Rimowa biggest and most well known project acquired by (LVMH)
• Show a brand in situe on the product, type of print and methods e.g. embossing 
• Present one idea format generally has one idea and is not surrounded by graphics that don't need to be there 
• How can client background influence production? 
• Can elements and ingredients e.g. a wax spill be represented through a brand or graphic 
• Can what already exists be enhanced graphically or through print using technology
• Micro-perforation technique - graphic can be a piece of art 

The Pitch 

• How can you make a pitch come to life?
• Visualise the real life concept through the pitch
• Key associations with the brand inform new design e.g. Precious Cargo 
• Hyper aware of trends and industry to inform the approach
• Identity work is timeless and last 10-20 years 
• How can USP's make a brand iconic
• Can the product aesthetic translate into the branding 
• Letterforms to reference the product aesthetics 
• Stationary a good way to see how type sits with the logo 
• Stationary used to capture the essence of a brand 
• Prototype, print in-house, own mock-ups and testing - know you can deliver 
• Production such as binding method relates to the product
• Presentation reflective of the brand you are pitching to
• Collaborate with others when you can't do something e.g. photographers
• Types of Art Direction - make something more real and natural 
• Types of Art Direction - lifestyle, photography, illustration, pattern 
• How does the brand sit on product
• Packaging should match the quality of the product

With producing this pitch for the rebrand, were you guys afraid of crossing a line with altering the look of a family owned business with alot of history behind their product? Or was the client very happy with being shown suggestions to how they could alter their pre-existing branding to something quite different to what they originally had?

How vision can impact the brand. Conscious of existing customers. Neutral enough for established customer base.

Are there any pitch featured outcomes that Rimowa didn’t end up using that you wished had remained part of the final re-brand? Was there a particular idea that you were attached to or is it best not to get attached when working with a client when things can change?

The original monogam speaks much more of the brand and personality. The colour scheme also worked well but now its become a much richer range of stuff.