Why the drastic change to our identity? Watch the film...

Finders Keepers updates brand image for the first time in 15 years

They say all good things must end and for Oxfordshire’s award-winning letting agency, the time had come to wave goodbye to the logo it had faithfully used since the mid-1990s. The dark green lozenge-shaped logo with gold lettering had served its purpose but the company felt that the business had become far more cutting edge than the brand identity. The family-run business was determined to update its branding using just its own creativity and the help of Paul Thwaites, a Leamington Spa-based designer.

Finders Keepers held a series of internal workshops to gather the ideas of its most creative staff members. Many animated discussions were held, which generated a wealth of ideas ultimately resulting in the decision to completely jettison the old logo and corporate colours in favour of a completely new look.

“Most corporate identities evolve,” explains Dan Channer, Commercial Director, “We considered that, but in the end we decided to be bold and opt for something completely different. It was not just the logo that changed but our entire approach to brand identity. Why just have one corporate colour? Finders Keepers appeals to a wide audience and we have different divisions to cater to a wide variety of needs. Why not make things more interesting and use four different colours, using them interchangeably on our boards, cars and signage? We’re not just one thing to one type of person; we’re adaptable so we felt our branding should reflect that.”

The result was a fresh approach that is a complete departure from the previous brand identity. Echoing some of the ideas generated from the internal workshops, a leaf motif emphasises the firm’s rural roots while a heart - a controversial inclusion - reflects the company’s commitment to its clients. Finally, a 60-second film (see above) was produced to announce the new branding.

“We won The Sunday Times Award for Best Innovation in 2011,” continues Channer, “so we felt we could harness that inventiveness to rebrand ourselves for a fraction of the cost that large companies commit to such exercises. We have been delighted with the results and hope our clients are, too.”