Era heads Internet mobile brand project

Truphone, an innovative Internet telephone service for mobile users, is to launch with branding created by a collaborative group of designers.

The project is being led by product and interiors consultancy Era, which was appointed after a three-way pitch earlier this year. The group brought in Simon Paterson, partner at branding specialist London CBN, to develop the brand strategy, and Michela Magas, a co-founder of Stromatolite, to design the graphic identity.

Truphone works by using the Internet to transmit phone calls whenever a wi-fi network is available. Where there is no wi-fi, it ‘intelligently’ switches back to the mobile network.

Calls via the Internet are currently free and the system moves from beta-testing to a full product later this month.

According to Era founder Peter Emrys-Roberts, the visual identity has been developed to sit alongside the ‘host’ brands of the mobile phone manufacturers and networks. The logotype itself is inspired by the ASCII character language and uses a ‘quirky’ proprietary font.

‘It was logical that the branding should be black, white and grey as it is going to be hosted by other brands, which are typically loud and brash,’ says Emrys-Roberts. ‘The brand equity is about speaking clearly and honestly about the service.’

A website, www.truphone.com, was designed by Picture.