Partnering with Pacific Office Solutions, our brief was to refresh a 30-year-old Australian photocopier retailer. An associate of Ricoh - a reputable, household name in photocopiers - the company needed a fresh new vision and identity to elevate their brand.

With new owners and increasing market competition, we identified an opportunity to strategically reposition the company as a smart business solutions provider with a focus on innovation, cloud software solutions and technology. Photocopy machines are predicted to be obsolete in the next half decade, so our team was focused on transforming the company in order to protect and safeguard its future.

Enter: ion. With most competitors in this industry using acronyms in the name, we decided to push boundaries and create something more conceptual. With ions used in copy machines and signifying ‘positive charge’, we'd found our sweet spot.

We kept the brand identity simple; a lowercase typeface with rounded, organic shapes, and a bold supporting colour palette utilising deep purple and cyan colours. With accompanying clear messaging, we were able to create a space unique to the brand, moving the company ahead of its competitors. The bold colours were used liberally across a fleet of vehicle livery, signage detailing, interior office features, meeting spaces and the HQ building exterior. From strategy to naming, identity design to interiors, we were able to build a brand that firmly put ion at the forefront and future of their industry.

A unanimous agreement amongst key stakeholders to go with the unexpected name, ion.