TRANSFORM IN NORTH AMERICA
Some of the world’s most influential brands come from North America – Apple, McDonald’s, GE, TD, Corona, Coca-Cola – and many of the regional or national brands across the continent swiftly become global in nature.
This prompts massive changes to the brand’s strategy and often, visual identity. Even for those organisations addressing only a local community will have had to deal with the changing forces of digital.
The Transform Awards North America recognizes and celebrates those brands that most effectively and successfully address brand development, rebranding or brand repositioning. Those brands that have taken home awards at the Transform Awards North America 2015 have all shown an adept understanding of their audiences, have taken a considered approach to brand strategy and have seen phenomenal results supporting their changes to the business.
The awards took place on 27 October in Manhattan and were hosted by George Dawes Green, an acclaimed storyteller who highlighted the stories brands tell. At the awards, successful brands were the ones that managed to highlight their values, brand story and core messaging in their brand communications.
Rob Meyerson, head of global naming at HP and Transform Awards judge, says, “It was an honour to get to judge the first Transform Awards in North America. I was truly impressed by the quality and diversity of entries. The winners should be especially proud, as their submissions represent some of the best brand strategy and creative work in the industry today.”
The Grand Prix award was bestowed upon one of the most successful winners of the night, CVS Health, which took home prizes for its approach to brand evolution, rebranding and repositioning and internal communications. The ‘Best overall visual identity’ award went to Alchemix, a chemical manufacturer that repositioned into a new market and radically changed its brand as a result. The trio of big winners was rounded out by DeviantArt, an online community of artists that had to take into account its thousands of users when approaching a rebrand and app relaunch.
The awards were complemented by the Transform North America conference which featured speakers from across the continent discussing issues around brand implementation, reputation, brand experience and brand strategy.
The awards honoured businesses large and small that have had to change the perceptions of their brand, public organisations that have raised awareness and brand equity and digital and traditional companies that have adapted to the changing needs placed on brands in the modern world. The Transform Awards will next recognise excellence in rebranding and brand development in the Asia Pacific region on 18 November. Following that, the awards will return to their London home in April. To enter the Transform Awards Europe, visit www.transformmagazine.net/awards
Full list of winners:
CONTENT
Best use of a visual property
Gold - Azur Global and Brand Diet
Bronze - Crave It Restaurant Group and Jump Branding & Design Inc
Bronze - Nomura and Living Group
Best brand experience
Gold - DeviantArt and Moving Brands
Silver - Ferrero de Mexico and 121
Silver - PIRCH and FITCH
Bronze - Nike Western Europe and SET
Best use of packaging
Gold - GlaxoSmithKline and Brand Union
Silver - Heineken International and VBAT
Bronze - Patrón and Pearlfisher
Highly commended - Anheuser-Busch InBev and Pearlfisher
PROCESS
Best external stakeholder relations during a brand development project
Gold - Meals on Wheels America
Silver – Greenbrier Companies and MerchantCantos
Best internal communications during a brand development project
Gold - TransUnion and Avenue
Silver - CVS Health and Siegel+Gale
Highly commended - CH2M and FutureBrand
STRATEGY
Best creative strategy
Gold - Airbnb and DesignStudio
Silver - Murata and Living Group
Silver - Nomura and Living Group
Bronze - Wolfgang Puck and Pearlfisher
Best brand evolution
Gold - CVS Health and Siegel+Gale
Silver - Pitney Bowes and FutureBrand
Bronze - Volta and Butchershop
Highly commended - Equinox and The Partners
Highly commended - TransUnion and Avenue
Best strategic/creative development of a new brand
Gold - City of Mississauga and Trajectory
Gold - Crave It Restaurant Group and Jump Branding & Design Inc
Silver - CVS Health and Siegel+Gale
TYPE
Best brand development project to reflect changed mission/values/positioning
Gold - CVS Health and Siegel+Gale
Silver - Suncor and Appetite Consultancy
Bronze - Wesgroup Equipment and Rex Image
Best rebrand of a digital property
Gold - DeviantArt and Moving Brands
Silver – The Canadian Olympic Committee and Zync Agency
Bronze - Vinson & Elkins and Living Group
SECTOR
Best visual identity from the education sector
Gold - Penn State and Jerry Kuyper Partners
Best visual identity from the energy & extractives sector
Gold - Suncor and Appetite Consultancy
Best visual identity from the engineering & manufacturing sector
Gold - Alchemix and Scholle IPN
Silver - Oplite Technologies and Grant Marketing
Best visual identity from the financial services sector
Gold - Gottex and Living Group
Bronze - Blue Matrix and Living Group
Best visual identity from the healthcare & pharmaceuticals sector
Gold - Alchemix and Scholle IPN
Silver - iMedicare and Storience
Best visual identity from the industrial & basic materials sector
Gold - Alchemix and Scholle IPN
Silver - Chemours and Brand Union
Silver - Wesgroup Equipment & Rex Image
Best visual identity from the professional services sector
Gold - ICR and Thackway McCord
Silver - Vinson & Elkins and Living Group
Bronze - CH2M and FutureBrand
Best visual identity from the property sector
Gold - CBRE and Brand Union
Best visual identity from the technology, media & telecommunications sector
Gold - Pitney Bowes and FutureBrand
Silver - DeviantArt and Moving Brands
Bronze - Murata and Living Group
Bronze - Tegna and Siegel+Gale
Highly commended - Azur Global and Brand Diet
Highly commended - Blue Matrix and Living Group
Best visual identity from the travel & leisure sector
Gold - Portland Streetcar Inc. and Spoke
Silver - Airbnb and Design Studio
Best overall visual identity
Alchemix and Scholle IPN
Grand Prix
CVS Health and Siegel+Gale