News From Our Supporters:

Finders Keepers updates brand image for the first time in 15 years

They say all good things must end and for Oxfordshire’s award-winning letting agency, the time had come to wave goodbye to the logo it had faithfully used since the mid-1990s:

1. The case for change
Like a property which had seen a lot of tenants but little investment, the Finders Keepers logo looked tired; the 3-dimensional design was a relic of the late 1990s, the dark green colour lacked the energy that the business embodied. Quite simply, Finders Keepers had become far more cutting edge than its brand identity.

2. The workshops
Finders Keepers ran a series of internal workshops on the business today and the market of tomorrow. They analysed their market positioning and values. A key finding was that staff felt the external skin of the business (logo, office fascias, window displays) was dated.

3. The research
Landlords were chosen via random sampling techniques and interviewed by a 3rd party. The feedback was encouraging: every client interviewed would recommend the business. The landlords felt that Finders Keepers’ greatest strength was “finding high quality tenants”, and that an interesting differentiator was “thinking ahead and planning ahead to keep a portfolio in good condition”. A number of points were also made about how they could evolve their service.

4. The brief
Finders Keepers wanted something dramatic. They represented the insight gained into one image: a doctor and a razor.

The doctor represents their bedrock: professional advice, integrity, honesty, reliability, high standards – doing a proper job. The razor blade represents the ‘edge’ that Finders Keepers have and covet, for example, winning awards for innovation, launching a stunning website, campaigning to delay the flawed onset of HMO legislation in Oxford etc.

5. The breakthrough
Colours, colours, colours. They wanted grey / mauve and white as their main colours, but knew that grey / mauve would be too anonymous as a board on the streets. Then a breakthrough: why assume that an agent can only have one board colour? Finders Keepers could use these colours in subtle ways at times (e.g. letterhead, logo) and overt ways at other times (e.g. boards, cars).

6. The final identity
Helvetica font with some bespoke sculpting. The ‘Keepers’ is now on the same line as ‘Finders’. The leaf was inspired by the illustration already used, giving movement and energy amidst their rural roots. And the heart? It might polarise people but it is born from the fact that Finders Keepers care and that they are not ashamed in saying so, as old-fashioned as that notion might be.

7. The launch film
Playing Spielberg, the business made a little film in 2.5 hours at breakneck pace. Take a look at finders.co.uk/film: it is only 60 seconds long.

8. The roll-out
Finders Keepers went live with the new identity on Thursday 12th January. They hope you like it. Please send any feedback to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (logo, cards, boards)

Copyright Oxford Inspires 2009 - 2012. All rights reserved.
Oxford Inspires is a charitable company registered in England and Wales, no. 4588051.
Registered office address: Richardsons Accountants, 30 Upper High Street, Thame OX9 3EZ. Registered charity no. 1107094.
Web design by Alissa J Robinson