Ladybird is an iconic, global brand, beloved by generations as the gateway to reading for millions of children.
The Ladybird icon appeared on the first book the company published back in 1914 and has undergone several redesigns since.
We were asked to develop a modern, forward-thinking and inspiring brand style to compliment the existing icon and that teams at Penguin Random House would be excited to use.
Working closely with a team of senior stakeholders, we introduced a new brand font, ‘Hurme Geometric Sans’, a vibrant new colour scheme and a suite of graphic devices. All brought together with a new visual concept, ‘The Shake’, capturing the energy, playfulness and disruptive nature of children.
The end product was a detailed brand toolkit along with a library of assets and templates.
Having learned to read with a small collection of Puddle Lane Books (a Ladybird series), and being a parent to two young children who love reading, the prospect of working on such an iconic, much-loved brand as Ladybird felt very personal — and a big responsibility.
To ramp up the pressure even more, our client team was a somewhat intimidating group of the most senior art and brand directors at Penguin Random House, who, along with their in-depth knowledge and expertise on the brand, brought well-informed and strong opinions on visual design.
We navigated these dynamics by being as collaborative as possible, taking the team on a journey through a series of remote workshop sessions, utilising Miro as our shared space. The structure of the process gave them lots of opportunities to help define the direction of the brand and the contents of the toolkit.
Using this carefully orchestrated approach, the team felt part of the process and invested in the design solution. This resulted in them becoming advocates for the work we produced, helping ensure its successful adoption by their wider team and partners.
“Gordon is an exceptional creative lead. He was entrusted with delivering the biggest rebrand in Ladybird's 100+ years.
He took the time to really understand the brand and where we want to take it over the next 100 years. The respect and passion he had for the project shows in his creative execution.
Thanks to Gordon Ladybird now represents families of today and of tomorrow. He is a joy to work with and I wouldn't hesitate to do so again.”
