Transform North America 2023 winners announced

The winners of this year’s Transform Awards North America were celebrated at the iconic Edison Ballroom. On an exciting night in which the very best work in rebranding and brand development across the board was recognised, two projects in particular lit up the New York City skyline.

Transform magazine is delighted to announce the winners of the Transform Awards North America 2023. Still the only awards program to celebrate the transformative power of rebranding and brand development on the continent, the event was judged by an esteemed panel of experts hailing from the likes of Morgan Stanley, Major League Soccer and Audible.

This year’s showstoppers who thoroughly impressed judges, and respectively picked up the ‘Best overall visual identity’ and ‘Grand prix’ awards, set the bar high for years to come. Hippo Harvest and Landor & Fitch, which also scooped up four Golds in addition to winning ‘Best overall visual identity’ to cap off a lucrative night’s work, dazzled judges with its ‘fun and fresh’ approach to crafting the agriculture tech brand.

But the big winners on the night, and taking home the highly sought after ‘Grand prix’ award, was GE Aerospace and Interbrand. Lauded by judges as “classic and modern in one”, the new brand represents the aerospace arm of GE’s divested businesses. Interbrand’s vision to focus on the spirit of bold exploration paid off, with the project also winning three Golds and one Silver.

Other great successes on the night included Thackway McCord’s Simon Thackway winning the illustrious ‘Brand strategist of the year’ and Sonic Lens’ Marco Vitali winning ‘Creative director of the year’. Additionally, this year’s ‘Young contender of the year’ was won by Samantha Aliferov from Starfish.

The full list of winners is as follows:

 

CONTENT

 

Best use of a visual property

Gold – Union Square Hospitality Group and Prophecy

Silver – Akin and Living Group

Silver – Mastercard and Design Bridge & Partners

Bronze – PA Consulting and SomeOne

Highly commended – DraftKings Network with Makerhouse (A Hogarth Studio) and Sonic Lens

Highly commended – Schonfeld Strategic Advisors and Prophecy

 

Best brand architecture solution

Gold – GE Aerospace and Interbrand

Silver – UL Enterprise and Siegel+Gale

Bronze – Envu and HLK

Bronze – Morningstar and Creative Business Company

Highly commended – SAP

Highly commended – Textron Aviation and Brunswick Creative

 

Best use of copy style or tone of voice

Gold – FanDuel and Interbrand

Silver – PA Consulting and SomeOne

Silver – Snowflake and Sköna Advertising

Bronze – Brightwild and Matchstic

Bronze – GE Vernova and Interbrand

Highly commended – AllianceBernstein and Living Group

Highly commended – Schmidt Futures and Covid Crisis Group and Prophecy

 

Best brand experience

Gold – Discount Tire and ChangeUp

Silver – James B. Beam Distilling Co. | Beam Suntory and LOVE.

Silver – Nokia and Lippincott

Bronze – ANSA Bank and Brandology Amsterdam

Bronze – Interac "Sound Shopping" and Sixième Son

Highly commended – Microsoft – FROM BEACH HOUSE TO SEA OF IMAGINATION

 

Best wayfinding or signage

Gold – Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Owner) and Via Collective, Incorporated

Bronze – NSI Industries and BOLTGROUP

 

Best use of audio branding

Gold – DraftKings Network with Sonic Lens and Makerhouse (A Hogarth Studio)

Silver – General Mills – Totino's Pizza Rolls and Made Music Studio

Silver – Philadelphia Cream Cheese and amp

Bronze – TikTok and MassiveMusic

Bronze – YouTube and Antfood

Highly commended – TaxAct and Sixième Son

 

Best use of typography

Gold – PepsiCo Design & Innovation – Cheetos New Typeface

Silver – Invited Clubs and WANT

Bronze – Envu and HLK

 

Best expression of a brand on social media channels

Gold – TikTok and MassiveMusic

Bronze – Aecon Group Inc.

 

PROCESS

 

Best internal communications during a brand development project

Gold – Everest Group Ltd. and Bladonmore

Bronze – Boldyn Networks and Landor & Fitch

 

Best implementation of a brand development project

Gold – Unisys and Landor & Fitch

Silver – Akin and Living Group

Silver – GE Aerospace and Interbrand

Bronze – Colgate-Palmolive Company

Bronze – GE HealthCare and Interbrand

Highly commended – Textron Aviation and Brunswick Creative

 

STRATEGY

 

Best creative strategy

Gold – Unisys and Landor & Fitch

Silver – Martin Guitar and Coley Porter Bell

Silver – Mastercard and Design Bridge & Partners

Bronze – Callstack and Creative Business Company

Bronze – Union Square Hospitality Group and Prophecy

Highly commended – FanDuel and Interbrand

 

Best brand evolution (business)

Gold – Bat Conservation International and BRIGADE

Gold – Union Square Hospitality Group and Prophecy

Silver – Cielo and Heavenly Group

Silver – Holman and Starfish

Bronze – BitSight and Prophet

Highly commended – Halliburton Labs and Coley Porter Bell

 

Best brand evolution (consumer)

Gold – FanDuel and Interbrand

Silver – Carib Brewery and Brandology Amsterdam

Silver – PepsiCo Design & Innovation – 7UP Global Brand Restage

Bronze – Tin Pot Creamery and Allison

Highly commended – Coppertone and Pearlfisher

Highly commended – PepsiCo Design & Innovation – Mirinda Global Restage

 

Best brand evolution (corporate)

Gold – Monigle

Silver – GE Vernova and Interbrand

Silver – Woodward and Monigle

Bronze – Microsoft – SUSTAINABILITY EXPRESSION: THE FUTURE IS WILD

Highly commended – Q4 and Thackway McCord

Highly commended – Unisys and Landor & Fitch

 

Best strategic or creative development of a new brand

Gold – Hippo Harvest and Landor & Fitch

Silver – DraftKings Network with Makerhouse (A Hogarth Studio) and Sonic Lens

Bronze – Dawn House and Northbound

Bronze – Fullsight and Catchword Branding

Bronze – Poppulo and Monigle

Highly commended – American Pet Nutrition and Smith Design

 

Best development of a new brand within an existing brand portfolio

Gold – DraftKings Network with Makerhouse (A Hogarth Studio) and Sonic Lens

Silver – GE Vernova and Interbrand

Silver – VIU by HUB and McMillan

Bronze – Colgate-Palmolive Company   

Bronze – Mineral and Prophet

 

Best naming strategy (new name)

Gold – Oleria and Northbound

Silver – Circana and Landor & Fitch

Silver – Envu and HLK

Silver – GE Vernova and Interbrand

Bronze – The Rover Hotel and Might & Matter

Highly commended – Livian and Siegel+Gale

 

Best naming strategy (rename)

Gold – Upbound Group, Inc. and Interbrand

Silver – Vialto Partners and Prophet

Bronze – Boldyn Networks and Landor & Fitch

Bronze – Educational Development Corporation (EDC) and Catchword Branding

 

Best naming strategy (naming system)

Gold – Morningstar and Creative Business Company

Silver – Autodesk and Prophet

 

TYPE

 

Best corporate rebrand following a merger or acquisition

Gold – Chronicle and McMillan

Silver – Circana       

Silver – Oportun and Lippincott

Bronze – Broadview Federal Credit Union and Tenet Partners

Bronze – Protocall and Fazer

Highly commended – SC Labs and McMillan

 

Best brand development project to reflect a change of mission, values or positioning

Gold – Akin and Living Group

Gold – GE Aerospace and Interbrand

Silver – GE Vernova and Interbrand

Bronze – GBTA (Global Business Travel Association) and Sustena, a Pariveda company

Bronze – Q4 and Thackway McCord

Highly commended – BorgWarner and Siegel+Gale

 

Best brand consolidation

Gold – Holman and Starfish

Silver – Bridgeway and Sustena, a Pariveda company

Bronze – Textron Aviation and Brunswick Creative

 

Best rebrand of a digital property

Gold – AdeptID and 8 Point Studio

Silver – Akin and Living Group

Silver – Microsoft – BRAND CENTRAL: FROM INFORMATION TO DESTINATION

Bronze – MGAC and DeSantis Breindel

Bronze – TelevisaUnivision: ViX Streaming Brand and Interbrand

Highly commended – Jacobs and Siegel+Gale

 

Best employer brand

Gold – Wesco and Joe Smith

Silver – Intuitive and Ph.Creative

 

WRAPPED

 

Best use of packaging (glass)​

Gold – Smirnoff Ice and Design Bridge & Partners

Silver – Bacardi Ltd and Knockout

Silver – Carib Brewery – BLUE and Brandology Amsterdam

Bronze – Carib Brewery – Caribé and Brandology Amsterdam

 

Best use of packaging (print and card)

Gold – Tin Pot Creamery and Allison

Silver – Colgate-Palmolive Company

Bronze – Smirnoff Ice and Design Bridge & Partners

 

Best use of packaging (other)

Gold – Hippo Harvest and Landor & Fitch

Gold – PepsiCo Design & Innovation – Gx Fuel Tomorrow Collection – Fall Edition

Silver – Monday Night Brewing and Matchstic

Silver – PepsiCo Design & Innovation – Gx Fuel Tomorrow Collection – Summer Edition

Bronze – PepsiCo Design & Innovation – Gatorade x Serena Gx Bottle

Bronze – Wild Harvest and Pearlfisher

 

Best use of sustainable packaging

Gold – Unilever and JDO

Silver – ASICS and SGK Inc

 

SECTOR

 

Best visual identity by a charity, NGO or NFP

Gold – Human Rights First and Matchstic

Silver – Camp Starfish and Embark

Bronze – The Kabuki Syndrome Foundation and CBX

 

Best visual identity from the education sector

Gold – Alice L. Walton School of Medicine and Coley Porter Bell

Silver – Lumen Learning and Agenda

Bronze – Educational Development Corporation (EDC) and Catchword Branding

 

Best visual identity from the energy and utilities sector

Gold – GE Vernova and Interbrand

Silver – Halliburton Labs and Coley Porter Bell

Bronze – Exelon and Siegel+Gale

 

Best visual identity from the engineering and manufacturing sector

Gold – GE Aerospace and Interbrand

Silver – Martin Guitar and Coley Porter Bell

Bronze – Textron Aviation and Brunswick Creative

 

Best visual identity from the farming and agricultural sector

Gold – Hippo Harvest and Landor & Fitch

Silver – Amber Wave and Curious Plot

Bronze – California Giant Berry Farms and Curious Plot

 

Best visual identity from the financial services sector

Gold – Mastercard and Design Bridge & Partners

Silver – Raiz and Monigle

Silver – VIU by HUB and McMillan

Bronze – ANSA Bank and Brandology Amsterdam

Bronze – Bakkt and Agenda

Highly commended – AllianceBernstein and Living Group

 

Best visual identity from the FMCG sector

Gold – Hippo Harvest and Landor & Fitch

Silver – American Pet Nutrition and Smith Design

Bronze – Michiru and JDO

 

Best visual identity from the food and beverage sector

Gold – South Chicago Packing and CBX

Gold – Tin Pot Creamery and Allison

Silver – Monday Night Brewing and Matchstic
Bronze – Brasserie Laurel and McMillan

Bronze – PepsiCo Design & Innovation – Sabritas World Cup

Bronze – Roland Foods and Pearlfisher

 

Best visual identity from the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector

Gold – Pelago and A LINE

Silver – MindSight and Fazer

Silver – ScionHealth and BrandPie

Bronze – Emerson Health and Monigle

Bronze – WholeMind Psychology and L+R

Highly commended – SCYNEXIS and BrandPie

 

Best visual identity from the industrial and basic materials sector

Gold – Americase and MonogramGroup

Silver – Border States and Joe Smith

Bronze – Dow Inc. and Tenet Partners

 

Best visual identity from the lifestyle and wellbeing sector

Gold – Dawn House and Northbound

Silver – Coppertone and Pearlfisher

Bronze – The House of Cannabis NYC (THC NYC) and Base Design

 

Best visual identity from the professional services sector (advisors and consultants)

Gold – Union Square Hospitality Group and Prophecy

Silver – Joe Smith

Silver – Milliman and Agenda

Bronze – National Mining Association

           

Best visual identity from the professional services sector (legal and accountancy)

Gold – Akin and Living Group

Silver – Cork Gully and Living Group

 

Best visual identity from the property, construction and facilities management sector

Gold – The Davis Companies and DeSantis Breindel

Bronze – Invited Clubs and WANT

 

Best visual identity from the public sector

Gold – U.S. Army and Team DDB

Bronze – Schmidt Futures and Covid Crisis Group and Prophecy

 

Best visual identity from the sports and leisure sector

Gold – DraftKings Network with Makerhouse (A Hogarth Studio) and Sonic Lens

Gold – FanDuel and Interbrand

Silver – Martin Marietta and Tailfeather

Bronze – Wahoo Sports Science Center and 3D Identity

 

Best visual identity from the technology, media and telecommunications sector

Gold – Unisys and Landor & Fitch

Silver – Nokia and Lippincott

Silver – TelevisaUnivision: ViX Streaming Brand and Interbrand

Bronze – AdeptID and 8 Point Studio

Bronze – Callstack and Creative Business Company

Highly commended – Poppulo and Monigle

 

Best visual identity from the transport and logistics sector

Gold – Holman and Starfish

Silver – Textron Aviation and Brunswick Creative

 

Best visual identity from the travel and tourism sector

Gold – Brightwild and Matchstic

Silver – The Rover Hotel and Might & Matter

 

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

 

Brand strategist of the year

Winner – Simon Thackway – Thackway McCord

 

Creative director of the year

Winner – Marco Vitali – Sonic Lens

 

Young contender of the year

Winner – Samantha Aliferov – Starfish

Highly commended – Tyler Brown – Landor & Fitch

 

GRAND ACCOLADES

 

Best overall visual identity

Winner – Hippo Harvest and Landor & Fitch

 

Grand prix

Winner – GE Aerospace and Interbrand