Maru Group
BRAND STRATEGY | IDENTITY SYSTEM DESIGN | COPYWRITING
Challenge
Develop a brand identity system for an emerging property development group aiming to become a big player in the competitive field of commercial real estate in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Scope
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Brand strategy
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Logo design
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Identity system design
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Copywriting
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Signage design
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Merchandise design
Results
Emboldened by their new identity, Maru Group has gone from strength to strength. Their property portfolio now extends from Botswana across the border into South Africa.
Context
When I was approached by Tim Watt-Pringle to design a brand identity for his new venture – Maru Group – he struck me as a phoenix rising from the ashes. Having been burned in a previous venture, he somehow retained his innate sense of optimism.
I tried to capture this inner strength in the design of his company's new identity, creating something which stands apart from his competitors while completely looking the part on their playing fields.
Opportunity
Botswana is dry. So dry, infact, that they named their currency the "Pula", which is Tswana for "rain". This suggests a deep-seated optimism within her people, which is clearly evident in the personality of the founder of Maru Group, Tim Watt-Pringle.
"Maru", in Tswana, means "clouds", and Tim is looking to make it rain in the Southern African commercial real estate and property markets.
Goal
Tim and I sought to develop an identity system that felt like an industry staple while still capturing his own enthusiasm and intelligence.
Solution
We came up with a sophisticated logo and brand asset pack that still allows Maru Group to present themselves in a vibrant, optimistic way.
Identity system
For Maru Group's corporate identity, we combined the ideas of clouds and topographical area markings to come up with a strikingly simple and elegant logo. The graphic works harmoniously with the combination of classically strong serif and sans-serif type and a deep green colour to create an identity that instantly feels like it belongs in their industry.
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Horizontal and vertical layouts of the logo were created, as well as light and dark colourways, a brand pattern, social icons, and a cloud asset that can be used in multiple ways. All these elements come together perfectly in both the digital and physical realm, capable of seamless application across multiple touchpoints.
Copywriting
I developed evocative, simple copy to capture the essence of both Tim and Maru Group as a whole for the brand's launch in the public sphere.
Unique typographic design treatments further iterated the dynamic nature of the company.
​Branding & advertising
The logo and topographical cloud graphic device allow for bold and elegant branding opportunities, combining with the striking green and white colour palette to put Maru Group front-and-centre in the minds of commercial property developers and owners.
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The evocative copy and beautiful Sub-Saharan African landscape photography create pieces of advertising that evoke in their target market the same sense of optimism that drives Maru Group.