Transform in North America

Some of the world’s most influential brands come from North America – Apple, McDonald’s, GE, TD, Corona, Coca-Cola – and many of the regional or national brands across the continent swiftly become global in nature.

This prompts massive changes to the brand’s strategy and often, visual identity. Even for those organisations addressing only a local community will have had to deal with the changing forces of digital. 

The Transform Awards North America recognizes and celebrates those brands that most effectively and successfully address brand development, rebranding or brand repositioning. Those brands that have taken home awards at the Transform Awards North America 2015 have all shown an adept understanding of their audiences, have taken a considered approach to brand strategy and have seen phenomenal results supporting their changes to the business. 

The awards took place on 27 October in Manhattan and were hosted by George Dawes Green, an acclaimed storyteller who highlighted the stories brands tell. At the awards, successful brands were the ones that managed to highlight their values, brand story and core messaging in their brand communications. 

Rob Meyerson, head of global naming at HP and Transform Awards judge, says, “It was an honour to get to judge the first Transform Awards in North America. I was truly impressed by the quality and diversity of entries. The winners should be especially proud, as their submissions represent some of the best brand strategy and creative work in the industry today.” 

The Grand Prix award was bestowed upon one of the most successful winners of the night, CVS Health, which took home prizes for its approach to brand evolution, rebranding and repositioning and internal communications. The ‘Best overall visual identity’ award went to Alchemix, a chemical manufacturer that repositioned into a new market and radically changed its brand as a result. The trio of big winners was rounded out by DeviantArt, an online community of artists that had to take into account its thousands of users when approaching a rebrand and app relaunch.

The awards were complemented by the Transform North America conference which featured speakers from across the continent discussing issues around brand implementation, reputation, brand experience and brand strategy.

The awards honoured businesses large and small that have had to change the perceptions of their brand, public organisations that have raised awareness and brand equity and digital and traditional companies that have adapted to the changing needs placed on brands in the modern world. The Transform Awards will next recognise excellence in rebranding and brand development in the Asia Pacific region on 18 November. Following that, the awards will return to their London home in April. To enter the Transform Awards Europe, visit www.transformmagazine.net/awards

 

Full list of winners:

CONTENT

Best use of a visual property

Gold - Azur Global and Brand Diet

Bronze - Crave It Restaurant Group and Jump Branding & Design Inc

Bronze - Nomura and Living Group

 

Best brand experience

Gold - DeviantArt and Moving Brands

Silver - Ferrero de Mexico and 121

Silver - PIRCH and FITCH

Bronze - Nike Western Europe and SET

 

Best use of packaging

Gold - GlaxoSmithKline and Brand Union

Silver - Heineken International and VBAT

Bronze - Patrón and Pearlfisher

Highly commended - Anheuser-Busch InBev and Pearlfisher

 

PROCESS

Best external stakeholder relations during a brand development project

Gold - Meals on Wheels America

Silver – Greenbrier Companies and MerchantCantos

 

Best internal communications during a brand development project

Gold - TransUnion and Avenue

Silver - CVS Health and Siegel+Gale

Highly commended - CH2M and FutureBrand

 

STRATEGY

Best creative strategy

Gold - Airbnb and DesignStudio

Silver - Murata and Living Group

Silver - Nomura and Living Group

Bronze - Wolfgang Puck and Pearlfisher

 

Best brand evolution

Gold - CVS Health and Siegel+Gale

Silver - Pitney Bowes and FutureBrand

Bronze - Volta and Butchershop

Highly commended - Equinox and The Partners

Highly commended - TransUnion and Avenue

 

Best strategic/creative development of a new brand

Gold - City of Mississauga and Trajectory

Gold - Crave It Restaurant Group and Jump Branding & Design Inc

Silver - CVS Health and Siegel+Gale

 

TYPE

Best brand development project to reflect changed mission/values/positioning

Gold - CVS Health and Siegel+Gale

Silver - Suncor and Appetite Consultancy

Bronze - Wesgroup Equipment and Rex Image

 

Best rebrand of a digital property

Gold - DeviantArt and Moving Brands

Silver – The Canadian Olympic Committee and Zync Agency

Bronze - Vinson & Elkins and Living Group

 

SECTOR

Best visual identity from the education sector

Gold - Penn State and Jerry Kuyper Partners

 

Best visual identity from the energy & extractives sector

Gold - Suncor and Appetite Consultancy

 

Best visual identity from the engineering & manufacturing sector

Gold - Alchemix and Scholle IPN

Silver - Oplite Technologies and Grant Marketing

 

Best visual identity from the financial services sector

Gold - Gottex and Living Group

Bronze - Blue Matrix and Living Group

 

Best visual identity from the healthcare & pharmaceuticals sector

Gold - Alchemix and Scholle IPN

Silver - iMedicare and Storience         

 

Best visual identity from the industrial & basic materials sector

Gold - Alchemix and Scholle IPN

Silver - Chemours and Brand Union

Silver - Wesgroup Equipment & Rex Image

 

Best visual identity from the professional services sector

Gold - ICR and Thackway McCord

Silver - Vinson & Elkins and Living Group

Bronze - CH2M and FutureBrand

 

Best visual identity from the property sector

Gold - CBRE and Brand Union

 

Best visual identity from the technology, media & telecommunications sector

Gold - Pitney Bowes and FutureBrand

Silver - DeviantArt and  Moving Brands

Bronze - Murata and Living Group

Bronze - Tegna and Siegel+Gale

Highly commended - Azur Global and Brand Diet

Highly commended - Blue Matrix and Living Group

 

Best visual identity from the travel & leisure sector

Gold - Portland Streetcar Inc. and Spoke

Silver - Airbnb and Design Studio

 

Best overall visual identity

Alchemix and Scholle IPN

 

Grand Prix

CVS Health and Siegel+Gale