A New Wales. Smörgåsbord Studio rebrands a nation

“A feeling as much as a graphical kit of parts – the brand provides a platform for the Welsh nation across a wide range of sectors; seeking to engage, inform, invite, challenge and support in equal measure” says Smörgåsbord Studio of their stunning rebranding of a nation. “It draws together disparate strands of activity, creating a ‘glue’ that unites the great people and places of Wales: digitally, physically and culturally”.

“We addressed every brand touchpoint – from core marque to a bespoke typeface, from tone of voice and photography guidelines to experiential initiatives. A unified brand approach brought to life with creative excellence and transformative ideas – with the power to create a confident new way of thinking and behaving” adds Smörgåsbord of the Welsh rebranding which incorporates a bespoke typeface.

Developed by Colophon Foundry, Cymru Wales Sans, “whilst takes cues from the Welsh typographical heritage” does not wander into the territory of pastiche or parody. “Our research informed the look, feel and personality of several of the consonants (d, h, l, m, n, u) and crucially 5 of the 8 diagraphs that are wholly unique to the Welsh language, Ch, ch, dd, Ff, ff, Ll, Th, th. These forms comprised the infrastructure for the more expressive, headline cut of the type family, Cymru Sans (Welsh for ‘Wales’), while Wales Sans acted as the more staid (and indeed, English-language) counterpart. A unifying cornerstone of the new Nation brand that puts the provenance of the Welsh language front and centre” comments the Studio. As for the feedback of their rebranding for the Cymru Wales Sans here are the results: 45% increase in Visit Wales’ social media followers (taking the total close to 1m) and 5 million unique visitors to the Visit Wales website in the past 12 months, furthermore North Wales was voted as the 4th ‘top location’ in the world to visit in 2017 according to Lonely Planet’s annual ‘Best in Travel’ list. Oh Wales!

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