“If we had a pound for every time we see this logo, we’d be millionaires by now”.
And who can blame us? We may not have become millionaires, but we’re lucky to have been given the opportunity to design one of the world’s most recognised brand identities. A rich reward indeed.
It began 20 years ago, with a brief to unite 52 different Unilever ice cream companies worldwide under one single mark. “We’d like a Nike ‘tick’” said the client. “What brand wouldn’t?” we replied. At a time when ice cream was beginning to be positioned more as a year round snack, (and less 'sun sea and sand'), the client wanted an emotive logo to express what they coined ‘Natural Togetherness’.
Comprehensive guidelines were written and designed: motivating the marketing directors across each of the 52 territories, and providing clear and easy help to implement the brand across a vast array of applications.
At the launch of the new identity in Cape Town, Unilever Senior Vice President, Ice Cream, Kees van der Graaf, hailed the design as "double world class".
Who are we to disagree?
The DBA Design Effectiveness Award we won for this identity was one of the most satisfying wins we’ve had: proof that outstanding design can have a positive effect on business.
“Working with Carter Wong has been very fortunate for Unilever and myself. To create such a powerful, worldwide marque with hundreds of adaptations was a great experience. I believe that hard work and good fun is one of the pillars of their company ethics.”
Unilever Ice-cream House brand
The Heartbrand is very much alive today.
It has been evolved, simplified and the
brand expression developed* to meet
changing market needs and trends,
however it remains true to the work
we did all those years ago.
*work by FutureBrand 2002-2009