Project Overview

After two decades at the forefront of innovation in the metal coatings business, Axolotl Group has evolved into a world leading architectural product manufacturer. With our expansion into glass and concrete coating solutions, as well as new sub brands; Axolotl Art Projects and Axolotl House, we continue to invent solutions for any design challenge.

To celebrate our commitment to innovation, we are excited to announce the official launch of Axolotl’s new brand identity.

Axolotl’s in-house design team have reconsidered what our brand stands for, stripping Axolotl back to it’s core and redeveloping everything from a new logo, website, social media pages and marketing tools.

Re-considering Axolotl as a company throughout the entire re-branding process highlighted the opportunity to expand into sub brands, Axolotl House & Axolotl Art Projects. A strong unified brand connection links each brand, and provides the ability to customise interfaces relative to each companies’ products and services.

‘Redefining boundaries’ outlines the ethos of Axolotl from the inception of the brand, and is a fitting sentiment as the company moves into the future and continues to expand.

Organisation

Axolotl Group

Team

Kris Torma – Managing Director
Sophia Conradi – Graphic Design & Web developer
Ben Wahrlich – Product design
Emmaline Tuza – Interior Design
Tamara Kyd – Product design

Project Brief

Over the years Axolotl have recognised that our client base has developed into a diverse range from Architects and designers with a working knowledge of construction and the Axolotl product range, through to residential end users, and artists.

Axolotl identified that each kind of client interacts with our products differently.
Furthermore Axolotl recognises that with the release of each new product or brand, it requires the branding and marketing exercises relevant to it.

Undertaking a rebranding exercise twice before, Axolotl knew that the task needed to be carefully considered. The branding this time focused on promoting the story of Axolotl, as well as how our diverse client base would interact with our products into the future.

The aim was to create a feeling of cohesion across all elements of branding, and to make all necessary information accessible to our current and potential market share.

Project Innovation/Need

A series of architecturally designed stands, showcasing the newest Axolotl products and designs have been displayed at selected design and architecture tradeshows.

Approaching prominent Design firms to design these stands allows Axolotl to explore inventive applications of its products, to reach a broader audience, and it also forges our working relationship with these industry leaders.

The Axolotl 'Pod' designed by leading Interior Design Firm The Uncarved Block, is an example of this. Displayed at DesignEx, the pod featured several amazing world-first products including Axolotl Timber, Concrete Lace, Chroma and LINK glass along with many other beautiful finishes.

AXOLOTL HOUSE - Axolotl launched Axolotl House last year, realizing the opportunity to market our products through a specially constructed mud brick eco home, which has been fitted out with Axolotl finishes and products.
It is an avenue that compliments the Axolotl brand, providing a positive user experience for those that stay in the home.

AXOLOTL ART PROJECTS (AAP) - Created earlier this year specifically to market Axolotl’s ongoing involvement and interest in the arts sector. A company website was designed to highlight images of previous projects and further information on our services catering to the arts community.

Design Challenge

Our goal was to re-brand Axolotl, while paying tribute to the heritage and innovative nature of the company.

Axolotl’s primary products of metal, glass, and concrete finishes utilize proprietary processes. The Directors of Axolotl pioneered the technology in 1995 whereby metal in a liquid form, could be bonded to the surface of any substrate. This process has since been expanded on, to develop new ranges such as the innovative concrete and glass link products.

The graphics team developed a table of elements style design for the Axolotl ‘Ax’ logo and for the presentation of the brands product ranges.
Coupled with a clear modern font and the application of silver foil stamping, the logo was tailored to perfectly represent the technological, chemistry process of the products, as well as relating to the innovative nature of the company and the polished metal finishes them-selves.

The new website was developed with a clean, sophisticated interface fitting with the new logo aesthetic, and was designed to simplify the navigation of Axolotl’s wide product range and design possibilities. With over one thousand products to showcase in the Axolotl business alone, plus the expansion into three new brands, this was no easy task.

User Experience

The Axolotl re-brand and consecutively it’s new sub brands were launched via an e-card to our 40,000 strong client database. With a strong establishment in the architecture and design industry this reveal spread through our media contacts and was featured on print and online platforms to further promote the new face of Axolotl.

The relationship between Axolotl and its new sub-brands; Axolotl Art Projects and Axolotl House is strengthened through the use of a consistent logo and branding style, as well as easily accessible links between each of the websites.

With a push in the modern market towards presenting the brand across a more informal platform, the new websites feature the addition of a blog where we can update clients with the latest projects and new designs, as well as links to our Facebook, Pinterest & Instagram pages.

The re-brand considered all aspects of Axolotl branding, presenting a unified front across all aspects of promotion.

Formal
- Business cards
- Sample folios
- Stationary
- Website
- E-card
- Brochures
- Flyers
- Slideshows
- Data sheets & specification guides
- Trade stands
- Showroom
- Feature advertisements

Informal
- Blog
- Social media

Interactive
- Trade stands
- Showroom
- Website