CHALLENGE

Carpet Mill has a position in the New Zealand flooring market that no competitors can match. It doesn’t simply resell product. It designs and manufactures carpet here in New Zealand, sells directly to customers and manages installation, giving the business knowledge and control across the entire journey from fibre to floor. Alongside its own soft flooring, Carpet Mill also offers a comprehensive range of hard flooring, creating a complete flooring solution for New Zealand homes and businesses.

Yet the brand wasn’t telling that story. Its identity and positioning had become dated, price-led and predominantly geared towards a mature audience. The bold red and black visual language felt hard and transactional in a category built around comfort, style and the experience of a space. It lacked the personality and contemporary appeal needed to reflect the quality of the business behind it, limiting broader appeal and the value Carpet Mill could command. The opportunity was to reposition Carpet Mill around what genuinely makes it different : a New Zealand business that understands flooring from the inside out.

APPROACH

We began by shifting the conversation from selling carpet to owning flooring expertise. We built the strategic platform around Carpet Mill’s ability to design, manufacture, sell and install, creating a level of knowledge, accountability and control that imported and reseller brands cannot easily replicate.

This thinking led to the brand essence, Made for real life. It connects the practical performance of flooring with the emotional role it plays in everyday spaces, positioning Carpet Mill as neither a discount warehouse nor a high-end design boutique, but a smart, contemporary flooring brand grounded in how New Zealanders actually live. The identity was rebuilt around a new, more cohesive Carpet Mill wordmark. Bringing the two words together creates greater strength and presence, while subtle curves reference the form of rolled carpet and soften the industrial character of the name.

From there, we designed an abstract M to reflect the Mill itself. A distinctive new symbol was divided into two complementary parts representing the two sides of the Carpet Mill business : soft flooring and hard flooring. Together they form one mark, reflecting a business that brings two flooring worlds together under one brand. A sophisticated colour palette, contemporary typography, tactile material cues and a warmer, more human photographic style move Carpet Mill away from traditional flooring retail conventions. The resulting system gives the brand the flexibility to communicate manufacturing expertise and product performance while also celebrating the comfort, character and lived experience flooring brings to a space.

RESULT

The new Carpet Mill transforms the perception of the business from a traditional carpet retailer into a contemporary New Zealand flooring authority. It gives greater visibility to a powerful competitive advantage that had previously been hidden : Carpet Mill doesn’t just sell flooring, it understands how it is made, how it performs and how it should be installed. Manufacturing its own carpet gives the business control over quality and supply, while its expertise across both soft and hard flooring allows it to provide a complete solution.

The result is a more distinctive, sophisticated and cohesive brand designed to build preference beyond price, broaden its appeal and give Carpet Mill greater confidence to stand behind the value it creates.

KEY TAKEAWAY

Carpet Mill already had the difference. The challenge was making that difference visible.

By turning its manufacturing capability and flooring knowledge into the heart of the brand, Carpet Mill can move from simply selling what goes on the floor to owning the expertise behind it. Made for real life brings together the two sides of the business, soft and hard, with one clear idea : flooring designed around the way New Zealanders really live.

 

Before

CHALLENGE

Kingmakers is a premium New Zealand racehorse syndication created to reimagine ownership through a more personal, customer-first model. Each syndicate is made up of ten like-minded individuals who share in the thrill and reward of racing at the highest level. The challenge was to create a brand that reflected this new, collaborative approach to ownership while expressing sophistication, ambition and the modern spirit of the Kingmakers experience.

APPROACH

We developed a refined visual identity that celebrates unity, craft and contemporary style. The brand mark represents ten owners – nine circles bound together by a tenth at the apex, symbolising shared ambition and collective success. Elegant typography and rich, confident tones give the brand an elevated presence, while the beautifully designed racing silks bring the identity to life on the track. Their contemporary patterning and minimalist detailing express motion and modernity, offering a fresh take on traditional racing attire and reinforcing Kingmakers’ progressive spirit.

RESULT

The new identity positions Kingmakers as more than a syndication, it is an elevated ownership experience shaped by expertise, camaraderie and vision. From digital to physical, every touchpoint captures the balance of heritage and modern design, helping Kingmakers stand apart in a traditionally conservative industry.

KEY TAKEAWAY

Through a crafted identity and contemporary silks that embody confidence and style, Kingmakers redefines racehorse ownership as a shared journey of passion, pride and performance.

Challenge

The Medical Technology Association of New Zealand (MTANZ) sits at the centre of a sector defined by precision, urgency and constant innovation. Representing companies that advance healthcare across the country, the association helps shape policy, connect industry, and elevate the standards that directly impact patient outcomes.

Despite this vital role, the existing brand presented a static, dated image. It lacked the pace and authority of an organisation working inside an environment where technology advances by the day and decisions can influence the future of national healthcare. The identity did not reflect the heartbeat of an industry powered by invention, nor the leadership position MTANZ holds with clinicians, businesses and government. What MTANZ needed was a brand that could keep up: one with clarity, credibility and an unmistakable sense of momentum.

Approach

Working closely with the Board, we developed a strategic platform that repositioned MTANZ as both advocate and innovator. From this, a new visual identity emerged, anchored by a stylised M inspired by the spike of a heart monitor. This single mark captured the rhythm, tension and life within the sector : a pulse that symbolises the association’s commitment to improving lives through technology.

The creative direction centred on bringing that sense of dramatic, human-centred technology to life. Linework echoed real medical waveforms to express movement and precision. Photography shifted toward high-contrast scenes of illuminated surgical theatres, focused hands at work, advanced devices in action, and the quiet intensity found in moments where care and technology converge. Typography and colour were refined for clarity and authority, giving the brand the presence needed to stand confidently in front of government, industry and global partners. This identity system was carried through digital and print environments, from the website to member communications, advocacy materials and event collateral. Each touchpoint now reinforces a coherent, contemporary story of leadership within a rapidly evolving domain.

Result

The refreshed brand positions MTANZ as a modern and credible force in New Zealand’s medical technology landscape. The new identity reflects the sophistication and responsibility of the sector, strengthening recognition among stakeholders and helping the association communicate with greater confidence and influence. MTANZ now looks and feels aligned with the ambitious, innovative community it represents.

Key takeaway

By combining authority with humanity, the brand captures the pulse of an organisation at the centre of medical progress. It expresses the energy, tension and purpose of a sector where technology, healthcare and people intersect, and where MTANZ plays a critical role in shaping the future.

Before

CHALLENGE

General Finance is a New Zealand, owned and operated finance company, and a wholly owned subsidiary of General Capital Limited, an NZX-listed financial services group. Both businesses required a refreshed identity that would unify them under one clear and confident presence. The goal was to strengthen their market position, connect more deeply with investors and borrowers, and create a distinctive visual identity that would stand out in a crowded financial sector.

APPROACH

A key part of the brief was to integrate the colours red, white and blue into both the symbol and wordmark, expressing a proud connection to New Zealand while evoking trust, stability and ambition. At the heart of the new identity sits a refined interpretation of the New Zealand fern, with three fronds converging to form a globe. This emblem captures the strength of local roots and a global outlook, symbolising growth, connection and integrity. The surrounding design system uses a sophisticated palette of regal blue, rich red, azure blue, white and silver, paired with clean typography and balanced composition to create a modern and authoritative feel.

RESULT

The new brand unifies General Finance and General Capital under a single, distinctly New Zealand identity. It projects clarity, strength and credibility across all platforms, from web and investor reports to advertising and communications, reinforcing both businesses’ reputation for integrity and reliability.

KEY TAKEAWAY

By weaving red, white and blue through both the mark and wordmark, the identity honours New Zealand heritage while signalling confidence and ambition for the future, positioning General Finance and General Capital as trusted leaders in financial services.

Visit https://generalfinance.co.nz/

Before

Challenge

The brief was to modernise one of New Zealand’s most recognisable political identities without losing its heritage. The National Party’s N and Southern Cross were iconic and familiar, yet the overall identity had become static, overly corporate and disconnected from the warmth and optimism the party wanted to project. The challenge was to re-energise the brand to make it feel confident, contemporary and distinctly New Zealand, while retaining the trust and familiarity that decades of visibility had built.

Approach

We started by strengthening the N to improve legibility and create a more confident silhouette that worked at every scale and medium – from billboards to digital avatars. The Southern Cross was reimagined as the central feature, symbolising forward energy, aspiration and unity. Colour played a crucial role : a warmer, more vibrant blue replaced the cooler corporate tone, complemented by a magenta accent that added freshness and energy.

Behind the scenes, we developed a flexible design system and brand toolkit that ensured national consistency and local adaptability. This included logo variations, colour specifications, templates and rollout guidelines – empowering regional teams to apply the identity confidently and correctly, no matter the platform.

Result

The new identity gave the National Party a revitalised sense of purpose and visibility. The refreshed mark feels open, modern and unmistakably New Zealand – equally effective on a podium, in social media, or in grassroots campaign material. The internal rollout toolkit has improved brand discipline and cohesion across all levels of communication, helping the party present as unified and forward-looking.

Key takeaway

Great brands evolve, they don’t erase their past. By building on familiar symbols and injecting them with renewed energy, the National Party’s identity was transformed into a mark that honours its legacy while looking confidently to the future.

 

Before

CHALLENGE

Blueprint Global is an international logistics company that specialises in simplifying the world’s most complex supply chains. While their service offering was sophisticated and highly capable, their existing communications failed to reflect this. The brand’s visual language was overly technical, fragmented and lacked emotional connection – presenting the business as functional rather than thoughtful. What was missing was a sense of clarity, confidence and care; qualities that define how Blueprint Global actually operates. The challenge was to transform a purely operational identity into one that conveyed precision, reliability and humanity on a global scale.

APPROACH

We reimagined the Blueprint Global identity around a single, unifying idea making complexity feel simple and personal. The new logo features five interlocking containers that form a distinctive, “chilled” symbol, representing the company’s five core business segments : air, sea, land, rail and cross-trade. The mark not only symbolises movement and connection but also becomes a playful, living device – adaptable across media and materials. It can be built from shipping containers, boxes, or even the products themselves, creating a dynamic link between the logo and the real world of logistics. To balance precision with emotion, we paired the mark with bold typography and photography that captures both the scale and humanity of global transport – sweeping infrastructure, movement, and the people behind it. The full identity was rolled out across every touchpoint : livery, digital platforms, presentations, stationery, signage and collateral. Each element was designed to be consistent yet flexible, allowing the system to evolve as the brand grows.

RESULT

The refreshed identity gave Blueprint Global a confident, modern presence that feels both structured and human. The logo has become a versatile storytelling tool – a mark that can flex across environments while retaining its integrity. Whether rendered digitally or built from physical materials, it reinforces the brand’s core idea: precision made simple. The new visual system unified previously disconnected communications and established Blueprint as a trusted, design-led leader in global logistics.

KEY TAKEAWAY

In logistics, clarity is the ultimate expression of confidence. By turning structure into a symbol and allowing that symbol to live and play in the real world. We gave Blueprint Global a brand that reflects its intelligence, agility and heart.

 

Before

CHALLENGE

Anchor is a Kiwi classic, part of New Zealand homes, fridges, pantries and tables since its beginnings in the Waikato in 1886. Yet in recent years the brand had lost clarity. Disparate communication, combined with a functional push toward nutrition and performance, created a tone that lacked warmth, humanity and accessibility. Consumers continued to associate Anchor with trust and familiarity, but the brand no longer stood for anything exceptional. Its story had become fragmented, and its emotional power was fading.

APPROACH

Our task was to develop a masterbrand system that could reconnect Anchor with New Zealanders in a deeper and more meaningful way. The goal was to give the brand a clear, ownable narrative device that could unify every message and make Anchor instantly identifiable, no matter the context.

Drawing on the brand platform The natural home of dairy, we created a signature milkflow device to house the logo and tagline. This flowing, organic form expresses the natural simplicity of milk while bringing softness, warmth and inclusivity back to the brand. It acts as a visual anchor across all communications, ensuring that every story, whether about people, products or moments of home life, feels unmistakably part of the Anchor world. The system reinforced a sense of ease, care, vitality and belonging, qualities that sit at the heart of the brand.

We rolled the design system out across the entire vehicle fleet, outdoor and press advertising and social media. It has also been adopted by Anchor teams throughout the Pacific markets, creating consistency and recognisability across regions.

RESULT

The new masterbrand identity restored emotional clarity and cohesion to Anchor, transforming scattered communication into a unified brand experience. The milkflow device provides an instantly recognisable frame that supports everything from storytelling to functional messaging, helping Anchor reconnect with consumers through warmth, trust and everyday relevance.

KEY TAKEAWAY

When a brand with deep heritage re-centres around a simple, emotionally resonant story, recognition and meaning return quickly. The Anchor masterbrand system shows how a single, ownable visual device can unify communication, rebuild connection and bring a classic New Zealand brand back to the heart of home life.