A 20 year "rebrand" - sharpening the 3B pencil

Well, for the last 20 years it’s been a very gentle evolution rather than a “rebrand”... a rebrand with a very soft touch at the most, I’d say.

It was in late 1998 that the 3 original B’s sat in their Soho office and plotted the rise of the mighty digital empire that is 3B. The company name came easily enough; all 3 protagonists names began with “B”... now, how about a logo?

Again, the answer seemed obvious; even now we still use pencils to sketch out ideas and to brainstorm… and it was especially true 20 years ago! The 3B pencil, whilst needing frequent sharpening, was always Alex Bremer’s “weapon of choice” when drawing and so seemed like a good place to start.

Justifying and articulating why a logo works is an exercise fraught with well-worn cliches, creative psychobabble and straw-grabbing; for the most part one instinctively knows when something is right. In the case of our beloved 3B pencil, however, the appropriateness of application seems endless; aside from the fact that the 3B pencil is specifically a creative one, it remains a direct link with our past whilst remaining relevant today.

We must admit there have been occasions when we’ve debated retiring the logo altogether and looking for something new, but what has become very clear to us over the years is that our clients genuinely love the pencil! Indeed, we know that certain associates from years past have, whilst trying to remember who we were for forthcoming projects, remembered our logo before they remembered our name.

So… here we are 20 years later… time for a revisit to our old friend. Our designer, Greg, was given a simple brief: “the pencil needs sharpening!”.

The results are stunning - a bright, sharp and vibrant rendition of a dear and much loved Corporate ID. The Directors couldn’t be happier but it should be noted that this evolution was brainstormed in the most inclusive way; everyone in the office was invited to comment and contribute ideas and consensus was reached remarkably swiftly, and with minimal eye-rolling from Greg.

We can’t be sure how long it might be before the pencil gets another polish - who knows, perhaps never. What we can be sure of is that the strength of the original concept withstands continued revisits, and for Alex Bremer that is especially satisfying.

Whatever the age of your company, or wherever you feel it sits along its growth path, your Corporate ID may well benefit enormously with a “Digital Audit”; an informed examination of how comfortably it sits in the Digital Space and how effective it is at engendering Brand understanding and loyalty.

If this rings true - get in touch! This is what we do well, and we’re not afraid to rattle a few cages along the way!