On Professional Awards and Rebranding Projects
In preparation for our new website, we took a serious look back and counted the awards Brandient has received over its 22 years of activity: a grand total of 74. All international. Some more significant, some less so, and some truly admirable! Specifically, we've received accolades for various visual design applications (logo design, packaging design, corporate identity programs, digital media design, environmental design, communication design, etc.) and complex rebranding projects.
The most prestigious global competition recognizing excellence in rebranding projects is the REBRAND 100® Global Awards, held in Providence at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Seventeen years ago, I was the first Eastern European invited to judge there, which is when I met the wonderful Anaezi Modu, the founder of this international contest dedicated to transforming businesses through branding (interview with Anaezi here). In 2018, Brandient was inducted into the REBRAND Hall of Fame alongside the world's top global branding companies.
Earlier this year, we were thrilled to learn that we had won the REBRAND 100® "Best of" Award for the rebranding of Cărturești (currently being implemented across locations in Romania). Additionally, we received a Merit Award for rebranding the regional e-commerce platform Fashion Days and a Distinction Award for the food delivery brand Tazz.
We were delighted, of course! We previously won a prestigious "Best of" Award for the rebranding of Dedeman in 2008. Professional awards matter because they serve as certifications of the quality of work delivered, giving the awarded companies a competitive edge and a "reason to believe" (highly awarded companies—like Brandient—often sign off with "an award-winning company").
But the real reason we participate in these international competitions is for our designers: global recognition means the world to them! It makes them feel "seen" and appreciated, respected, and applauded. It nourishes their egos and enhances their CVs. We enter these international contests to reward our designers with gratitude, not to impress our clients. I know it sounds a bit arrogant, but if you can handle it, you'll be fine!
I sense that the days when brands boasted about design excellence have waned, replaced by the five minutes of fame and social media impressions. In the current moral and ethical confusion, who is still impressed by excellence in work?
On Rebranding Projects
After completing over 200 rebranding projects across various sectors, times, and geographies, I can confidently say that rebranding is the most challenging task for a brand consultant (and equally so for the CEO of any entity venturing into this territory).
There's no surefire recipe for success, but there are dos and don'ts. First and foremost, rebranding must be embraced and practiced as an honest attempt at transformation and change; in other words, you need to have a clear idea of why you’re doing it and what you aim to achieve. If you don’t align it with your business objectives and involve the key stakeholders who hold the most power in the future of the business, there’s no point in "embarking on this journey" — you’ll end up with a significant expense rather than a lucrative investment.
Aneta Bogdan, FCIM, Managing Partner Brandient
Winning Projects
Cărturești: REBRAND 100® Best of Award, 2023
Designer: Adrian Stănculeț, Partner
See Cărturești brand case →
Cărturești is a remarkable cultural icon brand, unique in cultural brands' local "sandy" landscape. Cross-generational, cosmopolitan, and aspirational, Cărturești is a flagship in the local bookselling industry and was practically the first local experience brand long before digital brands "invented" the experience benefit. Cărturești is so close to its customers, so intimate, that we allowed ourselves to introduce (OURSELVES) into its verbal identity, and we adapted it: Cărturești creative/inspired/seduced, etc.
"Cărturești intense — I would call the project: beautiful, but not easy! The brand has a special connection with its shareholders, and they have aesthetics in their DNA. I think I proposed about 12 fonts to Șerban, and we’re still unsure if the chosen Aglet Slab Serif makes him happy :)."
—Adrian Stănculeț
Fashion Days: REBRAND 100® Merit Award, 2023
Designer: Ciprian Bădălan, Design Director
See Fashion Days brand case →
The brand champions the ideas of creativity, sophistication, seduction, continuous reinvention, exploration, and agility. These brand attributes demand a certain rhythm, a vitality that the design addresses through a flexible logo and bold graphic territory (the documentary style of photography, "the extraordinary of normality," composition, the way the photos are cropped, etc.).
"Flexible logos do justice to the digital environment, and personally, I recommend them for brands that need a bit of spectacle. Fashion Days received a territory where it can experiment with things, and I hope it capitalizes on this intelligently."
—Ciprian Bădălan
Tazz: REBRAND 100® Distinction Award, 2023
Designer: Ciprian Robu, Design Director
See Tazz brand case →
A cool story: Radu (Ilinof, ex-CMO of eMag) called us on a Friday—during one of the first weeks of lockdown—asking for our help to come up with a name for a food delivery service, "By Monday" (sic!). At Brandient, generating and researching names typically takes at least two weeks. But since we were all stuck at home, we managed to deliver a list of several names, preliminarily researched, "by Monday." Iulian (Stanciu, President of the eMag group) chose on the spot, as is his nature 🙂 A decisive man, he's always known what he wants (at least in the 13 years we've worked together!). We designed a logo and a few basic applications in a week. Two weeks later, they launched. A year later, they came back for a more refined version.
"Tazz is an urban, lively brand that celebrates the culture of convenience through the two R’s: Rapid & Reliable. That's why we pushed all the buttons that support these two R’s: the red color, a strong contrast, a memorable letter, and for the delight of users—a hidden surprise."
—Ciprian Robu