At the end of March, during a ceremony that took place in London, the winners of the 14th edition of the competition were announced Transform Awards Europe,dedicated to excellence in rebranding and brand development, and Brandfusion was among them, achieving gold in the category “Best visual identity in the FMCG sector” with the rebranding project Adams Supplements.
On this occasion, we invited our colleague Stefan Ferencz, Brand Design Director, to share some thoughts about what it means to participate and win a prize in such a competition, in such an effervescent field as branding, about the Adams Supplements project, and about what makes a difference in brand design.
It is neither the first participation nor the first prize obtained at an internationally renowned competition in the industry. Why is it important for you to participate in branding or brand design competitions?
Participating in branding competitions is important because it reminds us that our work must have substance and value in the face of the highest standards and rigor. Only in this way can we evolve that professionals from year to year and challenge the domestic industry in turn.
Indeed, it is not the first award in the Brandfusion portfolio, but it is the first gala of such magnitude that I took part in, where we felt the emotions of all the participants and where we went on stage to receive the trophy. This experience alone would have been something unique, but our success means so much more.
It is, however, the first entry and first prize in the Transform Awards competition. What does this success mean for you and Brandfusion?
For us, the Brandfusion team, this award proves that our strategic approach is delivering results that we can be proud of at a high level. This success reinforces confidence in us, confirms our value and the fact that we do quality branding, recognized internationally. It is also a welcome reward after the intense and challenging period of the past years, which gives us energy to continue like this.
Perhaps seeing from the outside does not seem so, but the decision to participate in such a competition and the process itself are not easy at all. How would you describe this and what does it actually entail?
Participating in competitions is always challenging. Projects should be presented succinctly, explained and exposed as attractively as possible, with impactful images. The application requirements are extremely precise, and I was not very confident initially. We were probably intimidated by the resounding name of the competition that usually wins these awards, but after a detailed analysis of the criteria and the encouragement of the team, we decided to participate.
What were the reasons behind the decision to enter the Adams Supplements rebranding project into the competition, in a sector as vast and dynamic as FMCG? What made you believe in him?
There were several arguments for participating with this project. Adams Supplements is a good representation of a radical transformation through brand strategy, positioning and packaging design. Knowing that evolution (before/after) is an important scoring criterion in this competition, we decided to present the process of this project.
We believed a lot in the impact of this transformation, in the consistency of the result on a visual level and in the added value of our work to this brand.
Among the nominees for the award for “Best Visual Identity in the FMCG Sector” were big names in the field of brand design internationally, PepsiCo Design & Innovation with its Cheetos Cheddar project or Elmwood with a project for the Mars Wrigley brand, if we were to give just two examples. What do you think made the difference in favor of the Adams Supplements project by Brandfusion?
Indeed, renowned agencies participated with equally imposing brands, which made us feel proud even for our selection in the shortlist. It was then that we found out with pride that we have as competitors renowned international agencies that participated with strong projects.
In these projects, the transformations were considerable, but not radical. They were rather logical developments, refined solutions of some needs or just a visual refresh. I think the difference in favor of our project was the spectacular evolution that we thought of for the Adams brand.
What “recipe” did you use to create the Adams Supplements visual identity, now awarded gold at the Transform Awards Europe?
The recipe used was the same as in most Brandfusion projects. Together with the client we created a map of the visual positioning of the competition, on which we identified the favorable areas for development. In this process, we understood very well the customer's expectations, the hierarchy of elements on the labels, the need for systematization that underlies a rather complex design solution.
After some graphic explorations and sketches of the structure of information on the packaging, we had to return to the insights of the brand strategy, keeping in mind the final need of the consumer. With Maslow's pyramid in mind, we were able to outline the master packaging design.
We focused on clear differentiation between ranges and products, on easy production implementations, while maintaining the visual unity of the brand. The result is a modern packaging design that is easy to remember and clearly communicates to consumers the benefits of the product.
What is the impact of recognizing the value of your work at such a high level, both from a human and designer perspective?
It is not just recognition of my work, this award is the result of the work of the whole team. Both personally and as a designer, this success is an impetus to dare more, to explore creativity in all its forms and to raise the standards in domestic branding.
I imagine that any future project I will think of and work on as if it were going to be subjected to the rigors and requirements of entering a large-scale competition. At the same time, I also see it as a challenge for new customers, which should give us more confidence and freedom in future projects.