Oakville Public Library
Complete rebrand for valued public sector organization in Oakville
Challenges
Inspired by our work on the Kitchener, Barrie, and Waterloo public library brands, Oakville Public Library (OPL) hired us to radically reimagine their brand. The legacy brand was at least 20 years old and focused on a logo of a ship (a nod to Oakville’s ship building past). The brand was not consistently applied, the staff were not excited and motivated by it, and with the growth of Oakville, the lakefront ship building concept was no longer relevant.
Insights
OPL fully engaged in our proprietary branding process, including the “OnlyYou™” workshop, which resulted in a significant revelation. The OPL is the only institution that anyone in Oakville, no matter social status, wealth, or background, can access for free, and come together as a community. This idea of a place to come together is especially important in places like Oakville, a suburban commuter town, where many residents leave early in the morning and return late in the evening.
Solutions
Following this revelation, we wrote the tagline “You Belong Here”, and began work on a new logo design. The subsequent design, called the “convergence” symbol, uses diagonal slashed lines to reinforce the idea of many people coming together. Following a highly facilitated approvals process—where Intent worked closely with OPL’s board, leadership team and key stakeholders—we designed and rolled out a full rebrand platform including a highly functional and well received Brand Standards Manual.
