City & Guilds qualifies an update

City & Guilds rolls out a refreshed identity and brand strategy this week, created by CDT Design and Brandsmiths, in an effort to prove its qualifications are relevant to more than just blue-collar workers.

The revamp comes in the midst of Government deliberation about the future of A-levels and debate about the role and relevancy of vocational qualifications.

‘[The revamp] is about focusing attention on the relevance of vocational education in modern Britain. There is still a skills shortage today just as there was 125 years ago when C&G was set up,’ says C&G head of group marketing Joanne Causon.

Offering qualifications in 500 subjects, the organisation commands an enviable brand awareness, but few people grasp the breadth and depth of its product portfolio, according to Causon.

Brandsmiths is charged with codifying the brand’s future direction and communicating C&G’s mission to staff and end-users.

‘C&G needs greater consistency in brand representation,’ says Brandsmiths director Chris Cleaver.

A refreshed brand identity, including ‘tweaked’ logo and visual language, has been created by CDT and is now being applied to all communication strands including the C&G website.

The familiar red lion mascot has been refreshed with updated typography to present a ‘consistent visual representation’ across all materials according to CDT creative partner Iain Crockart.