When we first connected with ValleyStar, they were just coming off an exhausting name and logo change from Martinsville Dupont Credit Union. They called us in to help with a video animation introducing their new identity. Soon after, Ethic took over ValleyStar’s brand development in its entirety. Sure, it would’ve been nice to be involved from the get-go, but we were very happy to jump in, assess where they were in the development of their new brand, and get things moving in the right direction. We took what had been established so far—just a logo, a color bar treatment and the start of a new website—and rolled up our sleeves.
With the name change already in motion, ValleyStar was under the gun. That meant we’d need to forego a complete brand study and hit the ground running. In close collaboration with the V.P of Marketing, we gradually developed brand elements on the fly, through actual working marketing materials. Obviously, that’s not the preferred situation for any agency or client, since moving forward without a well-thought-out plan can leave us vulnerable to dead ends and pitfalls, but Ethic was up to the task.
We started by establishing rules for colors, logo and typeface usage. Then we set out to clearly define who they were and what they wanted out of their materials. A round of general awareness campaign concepts soon led to a new ValleyStar call-out ribbon, the perfect complement to the aforementioned color bar.
With these tools in hand and an approved marketing direction, Ethic developed a full campaign, including Print Advertising, Billboards and In-Branch Graphics. Now, as ValleyStar’s brand continues to develop, we’re able to keep it on the straight and narrow with a consistent look.
