Rufus Leonard tastes own medicine with rebrand

BRAND REPUBLIC - 25 September 2003

Branding agency Rufus Leonard has given itself a taste of its own medicine, by overhauling its corporate identity.

The 12-month rebranding process has been undertaken not as a makeover but as a strategic exercise, with Rufus Leonard highlighting its core skills of ideas, branding and technology in the revamp.

Will Rowe, managing director of Rufus Leonard, said: "Our new image and positioning is designed to help us raise our profile in the markets for our four key offer areas. We also wanted to apply the same energy and vitality to our own visual identity that we always aim to deliver to our clients.

"It's the paradox of cobblers' children often being the worst shod," he said. "It was time to focus attention on ourselves and make sure that we practise what we preach."

As well as redesigning the logo and the office interior, Rufus Leonard has installed new technology called Hypertag in the signage outside its office, where passers-by can use their mobile phone to download information about the company and contact details.

Rufus Leonard was founded in 1989 as a branding agency, but moved into web design during the technology boom of the mid to late 1990s. The agency has been able to survive the dotcom bust because of its roots in traditional media and branding, and its broad range of clients including the government's COI Communications, Royal Mail, Shell, the BBC and the National Portrait Gallery.