Roadside directional yard sign displays the rebranded identity logotype treatment |
Two PSA ads (top, middle), and print ad |
In May of 2013, our library's Outreach
department asked the Public Relations and Marketing department to help them
explore ways in which that the library could increase community awareness of
its Bookmobile service and in turn increase attendance at the locations where
the two Bookmobiles stopped throughout Alachua County in Florida.
The Outreach department originally asked for the rebranding campaign to be delivered in 30 days, but as a single-person design department that produces between 60 to 130 per month for the library district, I had to tell them that wasn't feasible. They wouldn't even have written their survey and received any results back by then anyway. So it was suggested we develop the campaign over the summer months and see if everyone was ready by start of the school year in September. In the end, even though the design component of the campaign was ready for roll-out by September, the official roll-out held off until the first of December.
The outcome of our planning resulted in developing a survey staff could use to receive essential feedback back from patrons; another outcome was for the Creative department to re-envision and develop an entirely new visual identity and set of communication collaterals the Bookmobile could use to promote itself.
Half page size schedule handout |
For creative development, I first identified a thematic direction I
wanted to explore: using a "road sign" style of presentation for the
identity of the Bookmobile to strengthen its connection between the service and
where one would associate seeing it—out on the road. A colour palette,
typographical style, and shapes consistent with roadway signage would be used.
To me, the choice seemed completely natural and obvious to pursue. We allowed time during the summer for surveys to return in order to provide feedback on patron's current awareness of the Bookmobile services and what additional ways the service could be tailored to met their needs. Meanwhile, I moved forward to develop a new visual identity and strategy for communications materials.
I developed a logotype for "The
Bookmobile" that would become the new brand identity of the service. It
would use bold italic white lettering on a green background that would include
a directional arrow of the same green background colour. The arrow stem would
horizontally bisect through the center of some of the letters, allowing its
arrowhead to prominently terminate in the center of the "o" of the
"mobile" portion. So in essence, the italic logotype with the bisecting
arrow would reinforce the connotation that books were on the move, going
mobile.
Half page handout |
To help viewers of the logotype better
make the connection between it and the library, I next wrote a tagline to be
included under the logotype that would need to be consistently worded as an
integral part of the identity: "We're driven to bring you the
Library!" In this way, "book" would make the connection to
"library" while "driven" connected to "mobile." I
thought it not only clever, but essential to weave in as much literal and
subliminal interconnectivity as possible into the branded logotype. Each
component of the logotype would work to strengthen and reinforce the whole by
further defining it. To accommodate for different presentations of the identity
when necessary, three basic variations of the identity would be utilized:
"The Bookmobile" logotype both with and without the tagline, and also
a version of the logotype with a heavily outlined profile view photo of the
Bookmobile positioned over the logotype lockup.
8.5x11 inch sign style |
To further link the Bookmobile service to
its mobile environment, online and print advertisements as well as other
collaterals such as physical signs posted both inside and out of the Bookmobile
would all utilize the appearance of roadway signage. I identified and developed
three different themed channels to speak to: 1) target audiences such as
students, seniors, families; 2) service attributes that could play off of
vehicle signage language such as the deliver, reserved, accelerate; and 3)
lifestyle issues such as gasoline and financial savings, time and locality
convenience.
Mock-up of a key chain that was actually manufactured. |
Advertising and signage language was
written both to provide essential factual information as well as to draw from
their theme connections. Clever and playful wording was also infused into the
messages in an effort to not only identify essential factual information but
also to interject a small dose of personality into it. In the end, a few final
signs were selected from each channel, knowing that future signs could
potentially tap into any of the themed channels as needed based on what issue
or audience they wanted to address. Two different sizes of each sign design
were created: full page 8.5x11 versions for posting on walls and half page
versions for handing out to the public as leaflets.
Interior sign for librarian desk pass-through area |
A few additional promotional pieces were
developed to further assist in the rebranding awareness campaign: roadside yard
signs that directed traffic to the Bookmobile stops; a sandwich board signs to
be placed outside the vehicles that incorporated the new identity at the top
and left open space below for changeable event-specific posters and
information; vinyl adhesive labels applied on the Bookmobile truck doors; a key
chain sporting the new Bookmobile identity; bumper stickers that could be
displayed either on the Bookmobile and / or on private passenger vehicles that
wanted to promote awareness of the service.
Web site banner ad |
The only thing that couldn't be
altered at this time was the vehicle wrap that would have to wait until its
material life span ended and need replacement. But once that time came, a new
design would be developed and implemented which would then also be applied to
the other associated identity elements.
Creative for bumper sticker styled bookmarks included over 30 choices. The final single one chosen is the one at bottom. |
The complete campaign included creation of the following collaterals (and number printed):
Roadside directional 24x19 inch yard signs (3 versions, 6 each)
PSAs (2 versions, each used)
Print ad (1)
Sandwich board top 23.5x12 inch signs (4)
Half page schedule handbills (100)
Half page promotional handbills (4 versions, 100 each)
8.5 x 11 inch signs (25 created, 4 versions used, 50 each)
Key chain 3x.875 inch pad (250 manufactured by outside vendor)
Interior Bookmobile signs (4 created, 0 used)
Interior Bookmobile shelf collection signs (22 versions, 0 used)
Web ad banners (2 versions)Interior Bookmobile shelf collection signs (22 versions, 0 used)
Vehicle cab door 25.5x8 inch adhesive signs (4)
Bookmarks (30 developed; 100 of 1 printed)
Bookmobile staff business card (1 version, unused)
Bookmobile staff business card (1 version, unused)
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