Brand design
Stalwart is a new company which will begin primarily focusing on residential sprinkler installations with plans to move into landscaping, as well as aspirations to perhaps move into construction one day. I needed to design a brand which could scale with those ambitions.
Below are some designs I was inspired by as I started this project:
The first thing I decided was to move away from any imagery featuring water drops, grass, sprinkler heads, and/or landscaping tools. I felt we could use older imagery with more of an abstract symbolic meaning. We talked about a modern coat of arms, so I started exploring new and old designs.
The target demographic for this company is older and set in the upper middle class to upper class. I thought a lot about what kind of logos this demographic may see frequently, and what design language this demographic feels comfortable with. The Stalwart logo and brand needed to fit nicely within this. Here is a small selection of logos I referenced as I built the brand:
The Icon
We needed a figurehead. Something that represents the entire company succinctly. This was the first element I designed and I knew this element would become part of the coat of arms in some way.
The Stalwart Spearman.
The symbol is a nod to the owner's former military service, a symbol of determination and bravery, an indication of power and hard work; and yet the spearman is also a symbol of the everyman of his day. These features make it a powerful tool in the company's branding.
I also created an animated version of the spearman snapping to attention. This will be used in video spots, and digital media.
The Typography
I chose the typeface Aviano, designed by Jeremy Dooley, as the primary typeface of the brand. It felt traditional, and professional, but not stuffy or arrogant. Described as "elegant but business-like" by its foundry, Linotype. I paired Aviano with Helvetica Now as the subtitle.
I created a custom ligature for the A and R, it made sense as their serifs were set so closely.
Additional brand elements I designed which can be used independently like the spearman:
The spearman and icons make up the coat of arms:
All main logo formats:
Formatting of subtitles for additional divisions:
The Tagline
The tagline is Prosperitas per Patientiam, which means Success Through Perserverance in Latin. The English translation will be paired with the Latin in certain branding situations, others will have the Latin text by itself. The idea is the company will teach its audience the tagline in its marketing, then slowly drop the English translation over time. However, if someone misses the English translation it may spur them to open up a translator app to see what it means. This will drive interest and stand out in their minds over other companies.
