International Commercial Law Alliance Brand

This was the video I made and submitted as our entry for The Loeries (2023), where it was chosen as a finalist in the Brand Identity category. It will give a good enough representation of the work done to redesign the ICLA corporate identity.

While this was created during my time at Beach Weather Media, I was the sole designer working on this project.

To refresh the corporate brand identity of the International Commercial Law Alliance (ICLA) in a manner that befits its purpose and values, and to provide curated marketing collateral and website design (and build) to accompany the new brand.

• It is a strategic alliance of commercial law firms from around the world.
• All ICLA members are leaders in their respective commercial fields of expertise.
• Members share the same goals and values while representing their jurisdiction with pride.
• Members are able to provide each other's clients with first-class legal advice and excellent value.

The ICLA brand must reflect its global outlook and purpose in a stylish and easily recognisable manner.

The ICLA brand must be able to reflect the unique decorum of commercial law: the concepts of order, compliance and precision, combined with an attitude of creativity and innovation in the meeting of ICLA clients' needs.

The ICLA brand must recognise the cultural and national diversity of each of its members and accommodate that diversity in the application of its design and layout.

The ICLA corporate identity must have longevity and be easily applied to those involved in the dissemination of the news of the great work that ICLA members do.

The easiest way to create a brand style that reflects a common practice and purpose against the backdrop of diverse societies is to borrow from design styles that focus on clean, simple lines, minimalism, and functionality without sacrificing aesthetics.

As I explored various themes, I realised that our mood board began to manifest common aspects and ideas.

The use of squares and rectangles to frame fonts and designs. These blocks needn't be in any particular layout. In fact, they clearly represent the idea of order and permanence in commercial law, combined with the idea that solutions can be creative and bespoke.

By adding iconographic imagery to the blocks, I would be able to reflect diversity in a clean and stylish manner.

The overall brand colour palette is simple, clean and uniform, projecting elegance, intelligence and professionalism.

Washed, cool colours allow us to project variety and interest without breaking the simplicity of the overall brand design.

A pop of orange-red acts as an accent colour. It is to be used sparingly but provides a visually pleasing contrast against the cool tones.

I still felt it was important to give voice to the spirit of the original ICLA corporate identity in the refreshed design, as it already has strong elements of what ICLA represents.

These elements included:

• The globe: Naturally indicating the international nature of ICLA
• The large and clear ICLA header
• The stylised 'swish' frame: this would be incorporated around the globe

The main ICLA brand logos allow for various layout options, accommodating different marketing collateral uses and requirements by members on their own marketing materials.

The refreshed ICLA brand style allows for a variety of logo layouts and positioning options while maintaining a clearly recognisable look.