On May 22, IMEX will debut a new visual treatment designed over nearly 18 months
At Messe Frankfurt some serious shape-shifting has taken place as the IMEX team has been working for nearly 18 months to design and debut a new visual treatment, a refurbishment of its brand, which is set to go live on May 22.
In a press statement, IMEX says that it believed its previous identity no longer accurately represented the business or its live concert experiences, therefore it underwent a revamp. The workforce showed a deep affinity for several features of the old brand during extensive workshops, but it was decided that the iconic dots, which represented individuals, were a legacy that should be preserved.
Carina Bauer
“The minute the design team presented the ‘winning’ concept to our staff, we knew they’d nailed it. In clean, contemporary pastel colours derived from our heritage brand, the design embodies the heart, purpose, and business value IMEX stands for. It captures our belief in the positive power of people from all over the world meeting eye to eye, face to face and shaking hands on a business deal or new friendship,’’ says Carina Bauer, CEO, IMEX Group.
The statement says that a light brown tone referred to as ‘IMEX biscuit’ was produced by the team using the latest inclusive design principles to replace the traditional white background colour. A wider spectrum of people find it easier to read thanks to this non-stimulating, neurodiversity-friendly tint.
“As with all good designs we tried to ‘break it’ but it stood up to all our tests. It works brilliantly as part of our show experiences and on our websites, signage and more,” Bauer adds.
First ever sonic logo
In addition, IMEX now has a distinctive sonic logo for the first time, reflecting the significance of online expression for a worldwide business. The soundtrack, which was created with the aid of Brighton, UK-based Buff Motion, deftly heightens the anticipation of people coming together for a significant occasion and consciously acknowledges the fact that people everywhere celebrate community in the same way, with their hands and voices.
“We have brought our brand to life in various ways throughout the show – the atrium at Messe Frankfurt is the focal point for many of our ‘hero’ pieces. Next week’s IMEX Frankfurt is a living showcase for the new look IMEX and we look forward to seeing how people react!” says Bauer.
The statement says that the brand review process was conducted by IMEX’s design team led by Design Manager, Anna Gyseman who was a seminal member of the team that launched Grazia magazine into the UK market. As ‘honest critics’ she successfully recruited ex-colleagues Tony Chambers, former Editor and Creative Director of Wallpaper magazine; Suzanne Sykes, award-winning Creative Director, Graphic Designer and Brand Innovator, and Jonathan Clayton-Jones, Creative Director at the Telegraph Group.
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