Phil Wong’s five favourite Carter Wong projects

Phil Wong set up Carter Wong Design in 1984 with co-founder Phil Carter. The pair had met at Norwich School of Art and both studied at the Royal College of Art.

Over the past 31 years, Carter Wong has worked on identity and branding for clients including Formula 1, Unilever and Howies.

With Wong set to retire at the end of this year, we asked him to tell us about his five favourite projects from his time at Carter Wong.

FIA – logo

“We are widely known for creating the Formula 1 logo. However, our involvement with the FIA (who organise and run F1) extended far and wide and the FIA logo was also our creation. Originating from a pre-computer age, it was crafted with compass and pen. The dot on the lowercase ‘i’ was intended as a highlight on the globe, but the client liked it ‘straight’ – and the client is always right. Especially if he’s Bernie Ecclestone and you are an awe-struck F1 fan.”

Nomadic – branding and packaging

“Our client wanted a brand for a range of dairy-based recipes from around the world. The cow ‘says’ dairy, while the boy and the knotted handkerchief implies wandering. It evokes the range idea with charm and, dare we say, a more subtle expression of innocence.”

Awash Wines – logo and website

“The Awash website goes live this week, so only time will tell if what we have created does justice to this Ethiopian wine producer. It is a project that owes its genesis to Bob Geldof, who believes that with the right investment, companies such as this can compete on a global stage. For the sake of the many charming people I met there on the shoot, I hope it is a resounding success.”

Aduna – branding and packaging

“With Africa increasingly to the fore, it is unsurprising that this is another project that originates from that burgeoning continent. Aduna makes food and drink that promote health and well-being using ingredients such as Baobab and Moringa. Our vibrant solution uses the colourful language of African textiles. It was sufficiently attractive to grab the attention of Richard Branson, who awarded them a grant in his recent ‘Pitch to Rich’ competition.”

VTTI Way – internal communication

“A company that grows quickly will experience difficulty in maintaining consistency, especially if that growth is fuelled by acquisitions. A booklet issued to all employees that spells out the DNA of the company and what it expects from its people has worked perfectly for our fast-growing client, VTTI. It has found an unexpected use too – corporate investors, apparently, are always impressed by its cohesive vision.”