Shell International Petroleum wants to strengthen its brand image by incorporating “emotionally engaging” photographic artwork into its global identity. Design consultancy Marketplace has been appointed to the project.
Marketplace managing director Bryan Brown says the consultancy is assessing people’s emotional responses to the brand, and will look further at how selected imagery can be applied. “The image collection would touch all areas of Shell, creating a consistent and distinctive visual language to best express Shell’s values to all its audiences and stakeholders,” he says.
The collection will include work by some of the world’s top photographers, operating on a roster basis, and it will be applied across all of the oil giant’s points of communication, from advertising, promotions and print to forecourt sites, refineries and vehicle liveries.
The identity work is an attempt by Shell “to set up some consistency as part of its brand strategy”, according to Shell global brand strategy manager Venetia Howes. The work is expected to take up to a year to complete. The imagery selected will have an allotted shelf life before being updated, but the turnaround time is undecided.
Raoul Pinnell, vice-president of global brands and communication at Shell International Petroleum, says visual language is increasingly becoming a potent force in brand expression. “Marketplace is assessing the opportunities to create a highly distinctive collection of images which would be intrinsic to our brand identity and applied across our brand globally,” he explains.
Retail design and strategy consultancy 20/20 is working with Sainsbury’s and Royal Dutch Shell Group in developing signage solutions for the launch of a dual function forecourt and Sainsbury’s Local Shop initiative.
The first site has opened in Roehampton. By February 2001 the concept will be on trial in six locations in southern England.
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