"Our strategy was to place impact at the heart": Spencer Buck on rebranding the Brand Impact Awards

The BIAs have come a long way in ten years, establishing themselves as one of the preeminent global award schemes in that time. But to remain relevant and attractive to the design community, the scheme needed an elevated identity system that lived up to the calibre of work recognised and awarded by BIA's world-class judges, and a trophy that had the potential to become a coveted, iconic object.

Our strategy was to place impact at the heart of the Brand Impact Awards. The design solution emerged (seemingly) effortlessly because, at the heart of the BIAs, is the 'I' of Impact, and an unforgettable global visual metaphor for ‘impact’ is the humble hammer. We simply took those two observations and proposed the BIA Mallet, a traditional tool with craft associations that connects – rather conveniently – to the essence of great brand design. Naturally, this led to the idea of linking the physical trophy to the identity via the distinctive ‘I’ element as well.

The BIAs revised colour scheme was designed with visual impact in mind by contrasting hot pink with black, and an off-white beech wood colour to ground the visual system with an element of sophistication.

The BIA Mallet is made from FSC Certified European Beech Wood. Brass, colour-plated strike plates affixed at either end signal Bronze, Silver, and Gold, with BIA’s special awards represented in White (for Social Impact) and Black (for Best of Show). Both end plates carry an extruded BIA ‘impact logo,’ one right reading, the other wrong reading, which are intended to add an interactive playful element by encouraging all BIA Mallet winners to create a literal brand impact with the award – albeit in a responsible fashion.

This year's launch campaign places focus on the Mallet to imbue it in people’s memories as we build recognition and awareness of the new identity system. This also paves the way for future campaign ideas to flourish, all under the umbrella of impact.

Enter the Brand Impact Awards today.

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