Elanbach

Elanbach has a long history of designing and producing beautiful, quite traditional fabrics for the home. Its roots are connected to the Ashley family and it had, prior to our involvement, been based in Wales and used this strongly in its branding. The business was acquired by a Manchester based business with the intent to revitalise the brand, move production to the North and make more use of the web to increase awareness and take orders for samples and, decided during the project, all fabrics.

After much discussion, the decision was made to keep the name to help retain existing customers, but to change almost all other aspects of the brand identity and the way that it communicated. We felt that adding a broader position as a British brand would not betray its roots but be more appealing and truthful. We also felt that a modernisation of the overall look and feel along with the presentation of the signature ranges would help customers relate. We created a tag line which quickly described the product, its origin and its character. It also had a second thread of meaning, claiming the fabric to be an essential element of the British look. The tagline drove the development of everything that followed.

The identity is a play on the national flag, the arts & crafts design sensibilities in the product ranges and the wistfulness of the positioning. The graphic and creative elements around the core identity and statement all develop the theme of Britishness with a twist.