PROJECT DIARY
COMPUTERARTS.CREATIVEBLOQ.COMSEPTEMBER 2019
to craft a brand experience, focusing on how it
looks, sounds and makes you feel.
The dream outcome was for one big outfit
to take the entire space, but this wasn’t
guaranteed. We had to appeal to a wide
audience of media companies, tech giants and
law firms, but we also knew not everyone was
suited to this unique space – whoever came
here had to have creativity at their heart. We
referred to these people as ‘the innovative and
the industrious’, those prepared to break away
from traditional City codes and embrace the old-
meets-new juxtaposition of Royal Mint Court.
We imagined early on that other agencies
would play the safe card, and endeavoured to do
something different. Our strategy was to bring
energy, colour and impact to lift the site out of
the white noise of Tower Hill.
The client loved it.
DESIGNING THE IDENTITY
By Mark Davis
The identity we designed would consist of
several elements, but we knew that across them
the look and feel needed to be something new,
something that embraced the future with open
arms, not shying away from it.
One of the central images is a pair of glossy
lips breaking through a pale mint-green
background to represent the brand’s loud new
voice bursting out of the past. This came out
of our Pop Art-style photoshoots, where we
imagined the dialled-up personalities of future
tenants – characters who would announce what
was to come in a totally unexpected, bold and
visual way.
01-02 and 04-05
The team at
me&dave defined
a set of personae
who would
represent the
future-forward
clientele
predicted for
Royal Mint Court.Models were
styled to suit the
brand’s pastel
colour palette
and then
photographed for
Royal Mint Court’s
supporting
material.We selected a palette of four, core pastel
colours, and styled our characters to match
each shade. The palette amplifies the
personalities and complements the style of the
photography, letting it sing. We worked with
Ruth Rose, a fashion photographer who enjoys
using pastel colours. All the castings were done
in-house, with eight models selected to embody
the different types of tenants, but amped up,
almost caricatured, to create a heightened
energy and an unusual, ownable feel. Ruth was
great at dialling everything up.
The typographic expression also had to be
bold and there was no question; a heavy sans
serif would be the way forward. This is why we
chose Gotham Ultra.02PROCESSLISTEN TO THE BRIEF
Consider the client’s concerns and
their aspirations. Learn all you can
about the product and its situation.
It’s something so easily glossed
over, but it’s the most important
thing you can do to set your mind’s
cogs turning in the right direction.EXPLORE THE
LOCAL AREA
Remember, you’re not just selling
somewhere to live and work. You’re
also selling a location. What’s the
vibe? How does it feel to walk its
streets? What’s the history?BREAK FROM WHAT’S
GONE BEFORE
If you follow the same tropes that
other schemes have hooked onto,
you’ll create something that blends
into the background. Search for
inspiration from outside the sector
and don’t be afraid to deliver the
unexpected if there’s a good reason
for doing it.PERFECT
PROPERTY
BRANDING
Mark Davis shares his
advice on executing a good
identity in the commercial
property sector...01ALEX FENTON
Strategist and copywriter, me&dave
Alex has worked at me&dave for five years, his expertise ranging from
writing witty, incisive copy through to collaborating with real estate
clients to develop their identity strategies. A vital part of me&dave’s
approach, he’s on a mission to change the way language is used in the
built environment. Alex studied history at the University of Exeter and
was an account manager before moving into strategy and copywriting.“Typographic
expression
had to be bold
and there was
no question; a
heavy sans serif
would be the
way forward”