Excellence in rebranding and brand strategy at 2018 Transform Awards North America

Every year at the Transform Awards North America there are standout, inventive, creative brand development projects that showcase the best of brand. There are inevitably a few standout rebrands that turn heads and set the benchmark high for future awards hopefuls.

This year, though, the standard of excellence was incredibly high. Showstopping work was submitted across all sectors and categories, from law to television to food and beverages. Each winner exhibited an ability to stand above the crowd in terms of rebranding and brand development.

The premium awards winners – for ‘Best overall visual identity’ and ‘Grand prix’ – exemplified this excellence. The former, won by Kasowitz Benson Torres and Living Group offered a digital rebrand, content suite and brand repositioning that marked a change in tone for the legal sector. The assertive, confident work wowed judges in every category in which it was a contender. The latter, taken home by Jefferson and FutureBrand, took a challenging brief – a merger between two universities in the same city – and introduced a new brand, brand architecture and identity. In the process, a new university was created.

Brittany Golob, publishing editor of Transform magazine says, “The standard of work at the Transform Awards North America was exceptionally high. The judges were able to select and highlight the most deserving brand development work from across North America. To all of the winners of the 2018 Transform Award North America, well done on your well-deserved awards. Congratulations!

The 2019 Transform Awards Middle East and North Africa is still open for entries for 2019. Enter here.

The full list of winners is below:

CONTENT

Best use of a visual property
Gold – Boston Properties and Don’t Panic Partners
Silver – Kernel’s Popcorn Limited and Jump Branding & Design
Bronze – Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra and Superunion x HAWRAF
Bronze – United Rentals and MerchantCantos
Highly commended – Kasowitz Benson Torres and Living Group
Highly commended – Tic Tac and 121

Best use of copy style/tone of voice
Gold – CUNY - City University of New York and Siegelvision
Silver – Kasowitz Benson Torres and Living Group
Bronze – Konica Minolta and Frank, Bright & Abel

Best brand experience
Gold – Intel Corporation with 2LK and Moving Brands
Silver – Amazon and Household
Bronze – Riley Rose and FutureBrand

Best use of packaging
Gold – Seedlip and Pearlfisher
Silver – Constellation Brands Beer Division: Corona and Interbrand
Bronze – Hain Celestial / MaraNatha and CBX
Bronze – Oui by Yoplait and Pearlfisher
Highly commended – Land O’Lakes and CBX
Highly commended – Valvoline and CBX

Best wayfinding or signage
Gold – University of Colorado, Colorado Springs and ArtHouse Design
Silver – University of Rochester Medical Center and ArtHouse Design

Best use of audio branding
Gold – Tegna Inc. and Sixième Son USA

Best use of typography
Gold – Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra and Superunion x HAWRAF

PROCESS

Best internal communications during a brand development project
Gold – GE Power and MerchantCantos
Silver – Capgemini and Brandpie
Bronze – Aptiv and Landor

STRATEGY

Best creative strategy
Gold – GE Power and MerchantCantos
Gold – Kasowitz Benson Torres and Living Group
Silver – Aptiv and Landor
Silver – CUNY - City University of New York and Siegelvision
Bronze – Bell and FutureBrand
Highly commended – Watermark and Brandpie

Best brand evolution
Gold – Bell and FutureBrand
Gold – Jefferson (Philadelphia University + Thomas Jefferson University) and FutureBrand
Silver – Woosh Beauty and Interbrand
Bronze – Capgemini and Brandpie
Bronze – Kernel’s Popcorn Limited and Jump Branding & Design
Highly commended – Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra and Superunion x HAWRAF

Best strategic/creative development of a new brand
Gold – Konica Minolta and Frank, Bright & Abel
Gold – Riley Rose and FutureBrand
Silver – VICI Properties and Thackway McCord

Best naming strategy
Gold – Voya Financial and Labbrand
Silver – VICI Properties and Thackway McCord
Bronze – Soluna and Catchword
Highly commended – Riley Rose and FutureBrand

Best development of a new brand within an existing brand portfolio
Gold – Konica Minolta and Frank, Bright & Abel

TYPE

Best corporate rebrand following a merger or acquisition
Gold – Jefferson (Philadelphia University + Thomas Jefferson University) and FutureBrand
Silver – Tapestry, Inc. and Carbone Smolan Agency
Bronze – Watermark and Brandpie

Best brand development project to reflect changed mission/values/positioning
Gold – Bell and FutureBrand
Gold – Kasowitz Benson Torres and Living Group

Best rebrand of a digital property
Gold – Kasowitz Benson Torres and Living Group

SECTOR

Best visual identity by a charity, NGO or not-for-profit
Gold – Parkinson’s Foundation and Ultravirgo
Silver – Make-A-Wish and Rule29
Bronze – St George’s Society and Landor

Best visual identity from the education sector
Gold – Jefferson (Philadelphia University + Thomas Jefferson University) and FutureBrand

Best visual identity from the financial services sector
Gold – VICI Properties and Thackway McCord
Silver – Voya Financial and Labbrand

Best visual identity from the food and beverage sector
Gold – Seedlip and Pearlfisher

Best visual identity from the professional services sector
Gold – Kasowitz Benson Torres and Living Group
Silver – Dale Carnegie & Associates, Inc. and Carbone Smolan Agency
Bronze – Capgemini and Brandpie
Highly commended – Shearman & Sterling and Siegel+Gale

Best visual identity from the technology, media and telecommunications sector
Gold – Watermark and Brandpie
Silver – DXC and Siegel+Gale
Bronze – GroundTruth and Siegel+Gale
Bronze – Konica Minolta and Frank, Bright & Abel

Best visual identity from the transport and logistics sector
Gold – Bell and FutureBrand

Best visual identity from the travel, leisure and tourism sector
Gold – Cincinnati Ballet and LPK
Silver – Comfort and Landor

Best overall visual identity
Winner – Kasowitz Benson Torres and Living Group

Grand Prix
Winner – Jefferson (Philadelphia University + Thomas Jefferson University) and FutureBrand