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Counterspark
Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) came to us for help reimagining their public-facing activities and brand across the c3, c4, c6, and SaaS product with the goal of helping to engage individual donors and advocates in their mission to transform the U.S. energy system.
After our team led a reorganization and renaming process, I, along with an Art Director, began the rebranding process. This process included separately branding the c4 (Counterspark), which became the leading arm of the organization after the restructuring.
![[SHARED] AEE Brand Platform + Visual Identity, Round 1.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/cc3974_d417981eb0854a8eab65c7252558c80f~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_600,h_364,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/%5BSHARED%5D%20AEE%20Brand%20Platform%20%2B%20Visual%20Identity%2C%20Round%201.jpg)
We presented the client with three initial directions for the c4, ranging from minimalist to bold. The client opted for the top direction with virtually no feedback.
![[SHARED] AEE Brand Platform + Visual Identity, Round 1 (1).jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/cc3974_29ab108709a64d249bbdf0f61e95a32e~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_288,h_177,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/%5BSHARED%5D%20AEE%20Brand%20Platform%20%2B%20Visual%20Identity%2C%20Round%201%20(1).jpg)
![[SHARED] AEE Brand Platform + Visual Identity, Round 1 (2) 1.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/cc3974_a3c11faf197a4a76929f896a1cc2fbe4~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_293,h_178,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/%5BSHARED%5D%20AEE%20Brand%20Platform%20%2B%20Visual%20Identity%2C%20Round%201%20(2)%201.jpg)
The single color wordmark helps speak to the no-nonsense quality of the advocacy organization.
The wordmark relies on a “backslanted” style font while the expanded brand uses a “reverse contrast” typeface, both running counter to what we’re used to seeing. The rule lines help ground the word, and the custom, extended ‘K’ makes the logotype more ownable.
We created a comprehensive brand guidelines document to ensure that the Counterspark team and external partners had a source of truth for crafting creative with appropriate voice, tone, look, and messaging. The visual guidelines section covered everything including but not limited to proper logo sizing and padding, accessible color combinations, intention behind typography choices, and proper usage of patterns and photography. It also included visual comps and mockups to illustrate how the brand elements came together.
Here is a selection of mockups included in the brand guidelines document, some of which we began creating as early as R1 of brand development. These comps range from merch as shown above, to a homepage, report cover, social media post, or marketing email as shown here. Our spec work aimed to show the client how they would be able to adapt the brand easily across platforms and media types. Visually, the work was straightforward and more minimalist in feel, using colorblocking, containers, and teat treatments with a slight overlap. The client felt that the simplicity would allow the brand to be easy to maintain and would match the straightforward nature of their mission and message.
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