Walkman dials Figtree to brand mobiles

Sony Ericsson’s global roll-out of Walkman-branded mobile phones will use brand communications guidelines by design consultancy Figtree. The first Walkman phone model – the W800i – will roll out to worldwide markets, except Japan, later in the year.

Figtree began development work on the dual-branded product in March this year and has created an articulation that will be used in design and advertising. These communication guidelines will be adopted by all of Sony Ericsson’s worldwide agencies.

‘Both brands have their own visual identity and guidelines, but the challenge is in how we bring these two identities together,’ says Andrew Warner, global director of brand management for Sony Ericsson. ‘First and foremost, we want people to know that it’s a Sony Ericsson phone, so we’ve looked at ways to integrate Walkman branding into this.’

Figtree’s communication guidelines brand the range using approximately three-quarters Sony Ericsson branding, with Walkman providing the remainder – including its orange accent colour.