Our Own Rebrand

Case study:

🐾 BentleyCreative: A Symbol without a Story

Our original logo was a white german pointer silhouette (our beautiful Bentley) on a dark navy background — visually calm, personally meaningful, but publicly unclear. While pet photography was Nathan's original passion, motorsport was also becoming more and more important and more work was coming in for weddings, events and corporate. However the brand and logo didn't actually convey photography at all.

Moreover, BentleyCreative at the time was purely a photography studio, but as we grew, that changed and the brand became less relevant/identifiable. When we began offering graphic design, branding, and instructional materials, we realised our identity no longer reflected our work or direction.

Old palette

- deep navy and white

- white was sometimes cream

- German Shorthaired Pointers relate to pet photography, but not our other services

- distracting watermark

Old brand

- inconsistent tone of voice

- ethics and values not well communicated

- "over-use" of puns

Time to unleash some creativity ;)

🔧 The Rebrand Process

Just like we do for clients, we followed our own rebranding framework.

1. Brand Discovery

We stepped back and asked: Who are we now? What do our clients need from us?

The answer: A studio that bridges creativity with confidence—those want design and photography that feels human and clear, whether its athletes, families, communities or businesses with a moment to cherish or a vision to share.

We redefined:

- Our mission and core offer

- Ideal audience (local businesses, non-digital natives, startups, families, athletes)

- Brand personality (confident, welcoming, collaborative)

2. Visual Identity Design

Deliverables included:

- Primary logo + alternate logo (for socials, small use, print)

- Favicon and watermark icons

- Colour palette

- Typography hierarchy

- Layout templates

3. Messaging & Tone of Voice

We shifted from informal and personal to clear, warm, and helpful. Voice principles:

- Informative but not overwhelming

- Supportive, especially for clients new to branding

- Emphasises trust, clarity, and creativity

- Consistent social media post layout

- Tone that reflects an artistic editing style (with fewer puns!)

4. Brand Guidelines

We created a concise but thorough guide covering: - Logo usage (spacing, sizing, do’s/don’ts) - Colour and typography usage - Photography style selection (real, local, natural light, artsy) - Sample layouts for social, print, and web - Brand tone overview

5. Rollout Plan

We planned the transition carefully, including: - Updated website and social profiles - New proposal and invoice templates - Launch announcement visuals - Switchover of visual assets across platforms

🧰 Final Deliverables

When we rebranded BentleyCreative, we followed the same process and standards we apply to client work. Here’s what was delivered — and what you can expect from a typical rebrand package:

01/05

1. Logo Suite

- Primary logo – full logo with brand name and tagline

- Secondary/stacked logo – for tighter layouts or square formats

- Icon version – for social media, favicons, and watermarking images

- Reversed logo – for use on light backgrounds

- ShutterBug™ logo - for ShutterBug™ events

2. Colour Palette

- Primary colour: Neon Green #CCFF00 (bold, modern, attention-grabbing)

- Supporting colours: Black #000000 (confidence, contrast) White #FFFFFF (space, clarity)

- ShutterBug™: Cyan Blue #5de1e6 (complimentary to overall brand, while standing out)

- Colour codes provided in HEX, RGB, and CMYK for digital + print compatibility

3. Typography System

- Heading font: Strong, clean sans-serif for structure and legibility

- Accent font: Handwritten-style script to add approachability and personality

- Guidance on when and where to use each font

- Web-safe and accessible font alternatives included

4. Brand Guidelines

Delivered as a PDF (or editable document), including:

- Logo usage rules (clear space, minimum size, misuse examples)

- Colour palette usage with contrast guidance

- Typography rules and pairing suggestions

- Image style direction (e.g., natural light, real people, local context)

- Voice and tone summary

- Do’s and Don’ts sheet

5. Tone of Voice Guide

- Audience overview (e.g. small business owners, non-designers)

- Core tone principles (clear, supportive, community-focused)

- Sample phrases and example messaging for email, web, and socials including a tagline that still nods to our roots and Bentley the GSP - creativity: unleashed.

- Guidance for keeping brand language consistent across channels

6. Mockups

Visual examples of the brand in real use:

- Social media post templates

- Business cards and printed collateral (flyers, stickers, signage)

- Instagram grid samples

- Simple homepage layout

7. Template Starter Kit

- Customisable templates (optional)

- Branded proposal and invoice template

- Email signature and social media avatar/logo set

8. Launch Assets

- Announcement graphic for web/social

- Rebrand reveal post

- Short blurb/boilerplate for PR or email

- Updated profile images and banners (if applicable)

01/05

✨ After: Bold, Clean, and Built to Scale

As our studio evolved to include both photography and design, we needed a fresh identity that matched our dual creative purpose. The rebrand had to reflect our energy, approachability, and community focus—while also standing out in both digital and print, at events and trackside.

🚀 What This Means for You

Whether you’re launching a new business or evolving an old one, your brand should reflect where you're going—not just where you started. We know how it feels to outgrow your identity, and we’ve built our process to walk you through every step of the transformation. Let’s make your next version feel like the real you.