City & Guilds
Pioneers in skills development
- Charities & Education
- Brand Strategy
- Brand Identity
- Brand Campaigns
- Signage & Wayfinding
Background
City & Guilds is a global leader and international benchmark in skills development. It works with governments, employers and educators in over 50 countries to advise on developing high-quality skills training and has been pioneering skills development since 1878.
Brief
In an ever growing and competitive marketplace, City & Guilds needed to reflect its position as the best-in-class for skills credentialing though a new visual identity. The new identity needed to visually align to the Group brand strategy whilst retaining and celebrating its rich heritage, and position the company as a modern, international brand that connects with current workforces and attract new audiences.
Solution
The prestigious City & Guilds was the first of the Group’s ‘business brands’ to be aligned as part of our ongoing Group brand strategy and brand architecture. The iconic lion symbol was re-crafted using heraldic shapes inspired by the original 16 liveries, dating back to 1878. Whilst the heritage of City & Guilds was an inspiration in the design process, the new visual identity is contemporary and future facing. The new brand has been applied across all brand touch points to include digital, film applications and the prestigious City & Guilds Award certificates which carries the iconic lion ‘crest’ as authentication.
Our relationship with SEA started over 4 years ago when they created the new Group brand strategy and architecture framework to support the roll out across all businesses in the Group. The SEA team supported me on engaging a cross-Group team of brand leaders and with presenting the framework to the management board. They have always worked as an extension of my team, and are more concerned with getting the job done in time and to brief, rather than time sheets.
Nicola Palin
Head of Brand
City & Guilds Group
