Audiotonas re-brand

An existing client summons our services

A critique of what was in place

Our clients brief, to explore different routes that will evolve the existing Audiotonas logo (right), refreshing, modernising and revisiting the existing brand and identifying the key elements that will retain recognition built up after 20+ years of business.
With an ageing ident reaching it’s sell-by date it was time for the Hatch team to suggest some ways we could evolve and expand what was in place. Above right, we see what we were given to work with. When assessing what was in place, our initial concerns were of an oversized icon eclipsing the company name. Reviewing the existing logo in a working environment such as the current Audiotonas website our first impression was

that the size ratio of icon compared to company name was unbalanced to the point where it is not immediately obvious who the website belongs to, with the ‘Audiotonas’ wording taking a back seat to the icon. Also the company name was smaller than the navigational menu text. Another point raised by our team was; what does the icon represent ? and what, if any was the relevance to the company & it’s industry sector? Other than the icon comprising of the company initials ‘A’ & ‘’T’ there is no obvious secondary relevance i.e. could also be viewed as an Audio based element. The clients response was that the graphic was originally created as abstract art.

Our approach

In the initial stage we worked up and submitted 8 x design routes (below 4 of our preferred options) that explored a multitude of different tailored and bespoke typefaces, each with their own distinctive look and feel. We also advised that with a non-industry relevant icon, the nature of the company’s core business or credo could be relayed with the addition of

a simple 3 to 5 word strap line. As such, a variety of suggestions were worked into these first round visuals.
Ultimately adhering to ‘retaining of recognition’ stipulated in the brief, we concluded that the recognisable feature of the existing logo would be the ‘AT’ icon, this was to remain in some way, shape or form.

We kicked things off with what we would class as the safe or obvious move forward which had the least departure from the existing identity.

• Retained all recognised Audiotonas typeface, icon and
 colour elements 

• Rebalanced the proportionate ratio between company
 name and icon giving far more premise to the former 

• Removed the Black keyline retaining box for a more
 flexible creative use of White space 

• Suggested an accompanying strapline of ‘distributing
 sound technology’ set in Myriad Pro 

 NB: A note worthy point would be the double meaning
 of the word ‘Sound’ (in English) e.g as in‘Audio’ or as in  ‘Stable, Trusted & Solid.’We were not sure if this would 
 translate well in Lithuanian, as such sought advise from 
 the client 

• Retained the recognised Audiotonas ‘A’ & ‘T’
 abstract art elements by using them as part of the 
 company name 

• As the icon originated from abstract art this bespoke
 typeface was created in the same style from scratch 

• Removed the black keyline retaining box for a more
 flexible creative use of White space 

• Suggested an accompanying strapline of ‘delivering
 sound solutions’ set in Myriad Pro italic 

 NB: A foreseen advantage with this design is that 
 although not directly utilised the ‘A & T’ icon would be 
 even more relevant and could be used independently 
 or alongside 

Our second offering disects the established and recognised ‘A & T’ icon and imagines how this typeface could appear if the company name was written out in full.

• Here we took a new ‘techno’ style typeface and
 adapted it to create a bespoke logo in the one-word 
 style employed in the original logo 

• Although a single word, lowercase style was used, division
 was achieved with the application of two tones, black 
 and amber – this subtle, visual metaphor, underpinned 
 the company name 

• Particular 3D emphasis was applied by adding a
 ‘cube’ effect to the ‘i’ and perspective to the ‘t’ and 
 the baseline  

• The suggested strapline ‘new dimensions in sound’ was
 affirmed with the 3D effect of the logo and was set 
 within the solid amber baseline 

In option three we used a new typeface and employed a two-tone approach that offered a 3 dimensional feel.

• Here we created a bespoke, iconic logo in the one-word
 style employed in the original logo 

• Both ‘A’s in the company name were adapted to give
 a ‘back-to-back’ feel by sloping them symmetrically, 
 thus drawing the eye upwards towards a newly 
 developed icon 

• A new icon was designed by taking the recognisable
 amber triangle from the original and evolving it into 
 a ‘mountainous peak’, symbolic with imposing 
 strength and endurance 

• The strapline ‘sheer sound’ was to suggest a clear,
 monolithic mountain face, affirming the relevance 
 of a new icon as well as bolstering the company
 product base 

For our fourth offering we have employed and adapted a new typeface and suggested a fresh direction for the icon.

And the winner was..

From the initial visuals presented above, a three word company description outlining the core business, and a few iterations in between, all parties were in agreement that a ‘worked up’ version of option 2 was the way forward. It answered all the requirements of the brief, and the bespoke typeface, specially created to sit seamlessly alongside the ‘A’ & ‘T’, which were elements that originated from a deconstructed original icon.

Laying down the rules

It is often the case that we come across medium sized companies that do not possess a full set of brand guidelines. Whether a company is set up in haste at the time of conception or they are deemed not neccassary, we would always advise on having this asset in place as it ultimately pays dividends on so many levels when considering future marketing projects, branding requirements and consistency of a corporate look.

Wisely, having witnessed first-hand the benefits that corporate guidelines bring to the table (from our work with AMC) our client took little persuasion, when it came to putting Audiotonas on the right track.

These guidelines have been created to ensure consistency with the Audiotonas identity and integrity when producing internal and external communications such as printed documents, signage and electronic media. Their purpose is to ensure that the logos, font usage and colours are always clear, readable and

applied in a consistent manner. They are designed to be simple, easy to use, but also as a reference point for anyone creating communications for Audiotonas. This document allows a certain amount of flexibility, but to ensure consistency across the board, specifications should be followed exactly.

Brand identity guidelines
Covering: Logo Usage, Backgrounds, Exclusion Zones, Gradient Creation,
Sizing, Variants, Colours for Print, Colours for Screen & Font Usage.

Applying the brand

With a fresh new identity in place, team hatch set about applying the brand; Creating requested, printed & digital items of collateral such as arming the Audiotonas team with professional business cards, electronic letterheads (created in MS Word) and a branded email signature, we also addressed social media, creating a series of cool new Facebook profile pic & cover photo to show off the new identity. To conclude the job, our design team liaised with the clients’ web developers who had been issued the above mentioned brand identity guidelines as they were about to undertake a website re-design.

However our design journey with this company was about to take off when we were asked to design what would become the ‘out of this world’ Audiotonas Corporate Brochure see more..

Digital Letterhead & Continuation Sheet templates
Branded MS Word templates can be dispatched
as emailable pdf’s or printed off in-house

Business Cards Ideas 6 x designs initially presented in our first round iteration ideas, with the client ultimately opting for a revised version of option 1