Proud to Present: an enriched brand identity for Isle of Man jewellers, Element Isle
The Element Isle story is one of phenomenal success. Claire & Scott came to us during the 2020 lockdown; their business had seen unprecedented popularity during the pandemic, and they were ready to invest in creating a visual identity that properly reflected their passion: crafting beautifully designed pieces inspired by the land, air and sea that surrounds them on the Isle of Man. We spoke then about their long term vision: perhaps one day upgrading from Claire’s workshop to a dedicated retail unit, perhaps starting to use gold and create more exclusive pieces.
Friends: they have just created a piece for The Queen, commissioned as part of the Jubilee celebrations. The Queen!!
Whilst we all still loved their brand identity, Element Isle has grown up super fast since 2020. They’ve a gorgeous boutique in the Isle’s only department store, they’re creating stunning pieces for a more aspirational audience than we first imagined, and their team have grown at a rate. The character of the business has changed, and so too must the visual style.
Interestingly, the core brand elements - the primary logo and supporting logos - were still exactly right. Yet we decided that with a refreshed direction for the brand, the typography, illustrations and patterns no longer felt right - they felt too Autumnal, too heavy. So too was the colour palette off - it was earthy but not natural (an important distinction), and so this too needed attention.
We responded by elevating their visual tone; new typography, a revived colour palette, illustrations of the Isle’s landmarks, a stunning new brand pattern. It looks *gorgeous*.
Aside from the brand elements, Claire, Scott and I agreed that the brand photography was really not reflecting the essence of Element Isle. Of course, photography creates such enormous impact and will immediately shape the perception customers form of your brand, so it’s vitally important to get this right.
Excitingly, this project will culminate with a trip to the Isle of Man in September with my good buddy Michael at Saltwick, where I will be directing a stellar photoshoot to tell the story of a brand born from the Isle of fairies, folklore and cats with no tails. I cannot wait!
