We are honored to announce that DeSantis Breindel’s work with Prospiant, Terrasmart, BrightWay and OneMain Financial were recognized at the eighth annual Transform Awards North America. The Transform Awards recognize those companies and agencies that best exemplify the transformational power of rebranding and brand design. Each entry was examined by a panel of expert judges, who determined those that excelled in best practice in corporate, product and global brand design and strategy. These judges hailed from a wide variety of reputable organizations including Google, Hasbro and Microsoft. This year’s awards saw a 41% increase in the number of entries, setting the bar high for the competition.
Prospiant and DeSantis Breindel were awarded Silver in the category of “Best corporate rebrand following a merger or acquisition,” Terrasmart and DeSantis Breindel were awarded Silver in the category of “Best visual identity from the energy and utilities sector,” BrightWay and DeSantis Breindel were awarded Silver in the category of “Best strategic or creative development of a new brand,” and OneMain Financial and DeSantis Breindel were highly commended in the category of “Best visual identity from the financial services sector.”
The awards ceremony, hosted by Andrew Thomas, was held at the iconic Manhattan Penthouse in New York City. “This year’s Transform Awards North America saw an exceptionally high standard of entries,” says Andrew Thomas, publisher of Transform magazine and founder of the Transform Awards. “With the challenges of the past few years directly impacting all companies, it is fantastic to see the bar being set so high.”
Best Corporate Rebrand Following a Merger or Acquisition: Prospiant
Awarded Silver
Gibraltar Industries, a leading manufacturer and distributor of products for the agtech, renewables, infrastructure, and residential markets in North America, had recently acquired multiple companies, including two in the cannabis growing and processing technology market. To realize the potential of these acquisitions, Gibraltar planned to combine them with its existing Growing & Processing (G&P) group. Gibraltar asked DeSantis Breindel to recommend and implement an approach to optimizing the combination. Following internal and external research, both qualitative and quantitative, we recommended that Gibraltar create a new branded subsidiary, which we named Prospiant, that would establish it as a dynamic, future-focused innovator in the space. We developed a new brand strategy and visual identity for Prospiant, and provided extensive brand training to empower the new group to launch the new brand through a wide range of communications.
According to Mark Dunson, Prospiant’s group president, “As Prospiant, … we are now in the position to better help businesses, research and educational institutions grow through more streamlined operations and consolidated industry expertise.”
Read more about our work with Prospiant here and explore the new brand here.
Best Visual Identity from the Energy and Utilities Sector: Terrasmart
Awarded Silver
Gibraltar Industries had assembled a powerful portfolio of companies focused on providing industrial components to the renewable energy transmission industry. The company asked DeSantis Breindel to create a new brand for these businesses, which together would form an independent subsidiary. The goal: position the new entity as a cohesive, end-to-end supplier with best-in-class solutions. We created a new brand strategy built around the concept of “Powerful Connections,” emphasizing the close partnerships that enable the company to “connect” into customers’ businesses. Following internal and external research, we developed a brand architecture framework that integrated the once independent companies into a cohesive whole, and recommended that the new entity adopt the name of one of the acquired subsidiaries, Terrasmart. We developed a dynamic new visual brand that conveys the company’s core belief in the infinite potential of renewable energy – and its role in building a greener future.
The brand was launched in early 2020 to widespread enthusiasm among employees and customers. “Our people across the organization have really rallied around the brand,” reports Joanna Roberts, Terrasmart’s Senior Director of Marketing. “There was a lot of understandable loyalty to the legacy brands, so it’s been very gratifying to see how colleagues are beginning to use the new brand in their everyday work. The brand is true to who we are today but also gives us the strategy and visual tools we need to take us where we want to be in the future.”
Best Strategic or Creative Development of a New Brand: BrightWay
Awarded Silver
OneMain Financial provides personal loans products to customers with limited access to traditional lenders, such as banks and credit card companies. Seeking to expand its business while providing more value to an underserved community, OneMain decided to offer a credit card. The new card would reflect the company’s commitment to empowering its customers to reach a better financial future. DeSantis Breindel partnered with OneMain’s leadership to launch the new credit card, which we named BrightWay. Our brand strategy for the card was built around the idea of “Step Up Together” – suggesting that with the new credit card, and the support of OneMain, customers could enhance their financial flexibility and control. A visual system, including the credit card itself and the mobile experience, utilized a distinctive loop element to suggest the inevitable ups and downs of life.
The visual brand uses a distinctive loop design to drive home the idea that while financial ups and downs are inevitable, BrightWay card holders end up better off than before. The visual design, like the brand language, is warm and open – in contrast to the less approachable communications of most credit cards. One important criterion used in designing the card was digital shelf appeal; many consumers use credit card comparison sites to choose their card, so it was important that BrightWay stand out visually among a crowded field.
The BrightWay identity system was rolled out in a mobile app, through a web experience, and across a wide range of communications channels. With messaging that emphasizes simplicity and support, BrightWay achieved immediate consumer acceptance following its mid-2021 launch. As Doug Shulman, One Main’s Chairman and Chief Executive officer noted on an earnings call, “The BrightWay and BrightWay Plus credit cards were successfully launched late last year ….we’re pleased with our initial feedback from customers about the digital experience and have seen the BrightWay app getting great traffic and reviews.”
Best Visual Identity from the Financial Services Sector: OneMain Financial
Highly Commended
DeSantis Breindel developed a new brand for OneMain Financial, a leading provider of personal loans and insurance products to customers with limited access to traditional lenders. By focusing on trust and confidence, the new brand strategy supports the company’s mission of improving the financial well-being of hard-working Americans. The new visual identity is built around the company’s three new customer experience principles: empathy, ease, and encouragement. From color palette to photography standards to a proprietary icon system, the visual identity supports these pillars at every touchpoint, including in the company’s extensive network of branch offices.
The Transform Awards evaluate exemplary work in brand development and acknowledge the growing significance of brand in strategic corporate communications. DeSantis Breindel’s excellence in rebranding and brand development was recognized in a room brimming with industry specialists.