BRIEF

PMA Recruitment Services are an energetic, dynamic and service-led Glasgow-based start-up. They are a recruitment company with a specialist focus in the construction sector. They were looking to make an impactful introduction with their brand and marketing.

We were thrilled to be given the opportunity to work with them to create a new brand identity and were asked to create something that would help them make a splash in the competitive recruitment market.

SOLUTION

We were asked to create something that was bold and would stand out in the marketplace. Our team studied headline fonts from newspapers, activist signs and other high-impact communications. A preferred logo concept was quickly selected. We went with dramatically condensed letters, bold highly saturated colours and the little additional PMA emblem. We created a range of materials, including a mini-brochure, with the logo beautifully captured in a SpotUV finish.

However, the highlight of the project was the design and production of the business cards. The final cards were 700GSM thick, set on different coloured cards, characters were letter-pressed, QR codes added on, a black foil print on one side and the incredibly intricate (yet technically difficult) double-yellow foil was pressed on the darker card. This guaranteeing the most vibrant yellow possible and an incredible conclusion to a truly beautiful business card design, produced by our friends at Glasgow Press.

RESULT

A stunning new identity which has given PMA Recruitment Solutions the impactful introduction they were looking for.

“Benedetto and his team at the loft have been a key partner in getting our business up and running. They have supported us from the off from our brand design to our website. Offering a service we as a start-up business have been able to rely on. Should you need any support with branding, website design or modern ideas for your business, we would totally recommend the loft and their professional team.”

Craig Kenny, Co-Founder of PMA Recruitment Services

BRIEF

Levy & McRae are one of Scotland’s longest-standing, most respected and well-known legal firms with a reputation for excellence in litigation. Over the last 140 years, the firm has acted and continues to act in many of the largest, high profile and most complex cases which have come before the Scottish Courts. We were delighted to be given the opportunity  to design a new brand identity for the organisation. The identity would forecast a number of changes to the company including a new management team, a move to new premises, and revised priorities moving forward.

SOLUTION

We wanted an image which would be professional, meaningful and interesting yet understandable. A symbol which could be understood by clients and staff alike. The symbol of a light house most resonated with The Levy & McRae team. The loft team went to lengths to ensure that the light house theme would be communicated in the most interesting way possible and many developments were explored with the final version being captured as a plan-view with the light reflections being formed to create a cohesive and strong identity.

RESULT

We were delighted with the final results as were Levy & McRae. The identity heralded a new era for the firm and they currently use it to this day.

BRIEF

BenRiach became an independent distiller in 2004. Their 10th anniversary was celebrated with a refreshed design direction created by the loft and to further celebrate this special occasion, they wanted to release a range of exceptionally rare ‘Single Cask’ expressions. They asked for a stylish packaging solution that was still ‘BenRiach’ but very clearly highlighted the exclusivity of the whisky.

SOLUTION

The design focused on BenRiach’s heritage and we were inspired by the original sample bottles which had labels with little hand-written notes – very similar to old-fashioned medicine containers. We wanted to re-create that evocative feel throughout the entire range to show the value of the whisky and it was with the communication of all the different elements — Cask No, Date of Distillation, Bottle No, etc that gives the design that bespoke feel.

We created 3D paper mock-ups which helped to evaluate designs more quickly and allowed us to hit tighter deadlines much more easily.

RESULT

“BenRiach was looking for something that was bold, imaginative and would take the brand and the range to the next level. We are delighted with the final outcome as well as the service provided by the loft.”

Louise Seaward, Global Innovation Manager, Brown Forman

BRIEF

CPUK approached the loft to help them communicate the essence of their brand. The nature of their services was innovative and forward looking but they were looking for greater understanding from clients and a brand that meant something. We were asked to look at the entire brand from the strategy all the way to the design of each of the individual channels.

SOLUTION

We wanted to get under the skin of the company, so we worked to find out what motivated and inspired the key stakeholders. The company was engaged in a large number of highly specialised activities and we worked to find the guiding principles behind each of those activities. To find the true essence of the brand.

Our research led us to ‘Restoring Balance,’ which was eventually used as a theme and found to be the phrase that best described what the organisation was about.

Once ‘Restoring Balance’ was unveiled as the key message, we worked on a range of concepts that were based on those words. The brand, photography, website design, print materials and brochure design were all inspired by variations of a circular theme that depicts the words ‘restoring balance.’

RESULT

A new strategy, logo, brochure and art-directed photography all help to clarify the message of the brand.

“Working with the loft has been an incredibly uplifting journey. From what was becoming dated and obscure, we have a brand that is simple and packs an incredible punch in today’s competitive marketplace. Our brand is so important to everything we do as a business, so getting it right has helped us win more business. I would have no hesitation in recommending that you take this journey and beautifully define, why you do what you do.”

Yosof Ewing, Managing Director of CPUK