The Allotment overhauls Bauer Media’s radio portfolio

The new design will be rolled out from January 2015 onwards, and will apply to over 17 regional radio brands in the UK, and more than 43 individual radio stations.

Key design elements include a spectrum of colours, a simple Gotham typeface for the names of radio stations and integration of the word ‘Your’ into the marketing – communicating Bauer Place’s brand proposition “Closer To You”. The hand-drawn “Your” graphic will also be used as a window to hold imagery, animation and typography.

“We were briefed with consolidating a huge variety of radio stations all under one banner,” says James Backhurst, creative director at The Allotment. “Closer To You” is a focus on the needs of Bauer’s audiences around the country and the particular communities each radio station serves, whilst also looking at the bigger picture of uniting all stations.”

As well as developing unity, The Allotment also wanted to create a functional design to suit all platforms, including print, digital apps and radio, Backhurst says: “It is deliberately simple but also intended to be vibrant, as with the colour palette.”

The colour gradient has also been put in place to help listeners identify and differentiate between the personalities of each station in a particular area, he says: “A tiered system is being implemented in regions, with different radio stations aimed at different age groups, linking content closer to its audience.”

Regions will have a radio station for the core listenership of 25-45, one for 45-65-year-olds and one for 16-25-year-olds. “This simple structure will allow for clarity and choice,” Backhurst says.

Nick Button, marketing director at Bauer Media’s Place Portfolio, says: “It is a multi-platform brand identity that is vibrant, cohesive and really unifies our local radio offering, while maintaining the radio stations’ relationships with their listeners and locations.”