Creating local brands
Many traders groups wanted to use branding as a way of telling the world what their high street was all about and have created vibrant logos to have an immediately recognisable and authentic visual representation that businesses could use and get behind. But logos were just the start for several teams, who have then used these visuals to promote the area, events, businesses in innovative and fun ways.
Below are just a few examples:
Abbeydale Road
Abbeydale Road is a diverse, vibrant, up and coming area that extends from London Road at the edge of the city centre right through Highfield and out towards Millhouses. The team wanted to move away from what they felt was a dated label of being ‘the Antiques Quarter’ to have instead a brand ‘look and feel’ that would reflect their vibrancy, diversity and showcase the depth and breadth of the business offer this stretch had to shout about. Their designer wove into the materials icons to illustrate the different offer, from hospitality to hardware, hairdressing to haberdashery. The team were then able to utilise this eye-catching design on lamppost banners, bin wraps, event posters, vinyl stickers for shop fronts and as part of their social media campaign to be known as ‘Independent Abbeydale’.
Ecclesfield
The Ecclesfield team created ‘Buy Ecc’ as their brand – encouraging people to shop and spend in the range of local independent businesses. The used the brand to create lamppost banners as well as a ‘ration offer book’ to tie in with the 80th Anniversary of D-Day and the activities the Parish Council were organising to commemorate that. The book went to thousands of homes locally and helped to raise the profile of the businesses on the street. The booklet was well received, and the team are looking at creating a follow-up version to tie in with the Victorian Christmas theme the shops have chosen for Christmas 2024.
Chapeltown
The ‘Choose Chapeltown’ branding was inspired by the film ‘Trainspotting’ as the town has at its heart Chapeltown train station. Using bold colours and strong messaging the team were able to deploy a unique, eye-catching brand across a range of mediums. From the website to banner brackets, leaflets and other printed materials, such as the Chapeltown Trail, the design has been impactful in giving Chapeltown retailers the ability to shout about the area using a unified brand.
Nether Edge
The businesses in Nether Edge wanted to tell an authentic story about their local area and the heart of the village where the local businesses were located. Being slightly outside of the city centre and having a vibrant community life with a strong core of local independent businesses, they wanted their brand to communicate the ‘village feel’ of their corner of the city. The retail area in Nether Edge has been the heart of the community since it was built in 1880. This rich history, paired with the creativity and diversity of its businesses, became the foundation for the new brand identity. The designer drew up branding that leant on their ‘independent edge’ with the goal of reminding local residents of the unique offerings right on their doorstep and attracting visitors from across the city:
“The logo was inspired by the history and character of the village. The colour palette was drawn from the shop fronts, creating a cohesive look that resonated with the community.”
Branding gallery
