Creative Concern unveilsbranding for new Lancashire Wildlife Trust nature reserve

The 106ha former gravel works near Preston, Lancashire, will feature a visitor centre designed by Adam Khan Architects.

Brockholes’ owner Lancashire Wildlife Trust awarded a £27 000 contract to develop a visual identity, branding, graphics and marketing material templates for the reserve to the Manchester-based group in September, following a creative unpaid pitch against one other group.

Creative Concern approached LWT with four initial concepts, including a rainbow-coloured identity, and a concept inspired by hessian and Adam Khan’s design for the visitor centre. However, senior designer Helen Thomas reports that the trust asked the consultancy to ’surprise us even more’, which led to the final black-and-white branding.

’The trust does not have a massive budget so we thought this would be super-economical for Brockholes,’ says Thomas. ’Since a lot of educational materials will be photocopied, the branding looks almost as good as when it is properly printed. Also, the birds and the people are very colourful, so this branding will let them stand out.’

Illustrative motifs designed to look as if they have been scribbled on walls could be used to encourage visitors to draw on internal walls in the centre, either with chalk pens or on an interactive whiteboard.The branding will be extended across merchandise including T-shirts, weatherproof clothing, pens and key fobs to be sold in the centre’s shop. The visitor centre will feature an exhibition space, café, restaurant and conference facilities.

The name ’Brockholes’ was chosen after consumer research found that the first name proposed – The Ark – led people to assume the attraction was a zoo rather than a nature reserve.

Creative Concern delivered the brand guidelines to LWT last week, and is currently pitching against five others to design the trust’s website, due to go live in three months’ time. Marketing materials will roll out at promotional events this summer.

The consultancy is also planning to pitch for LWT’s wayfinding contract in the next few months.