Monarch Structures identity | Communication Arts

Responses by Chris Zawada; partner, head of creative; Full Punch.

Background: Once the market leader providing design and manufacturing solutions for urban shelters and furniture, Lucid Management Group (LMG) took its foot off the gas and began to coast by lacking innovative products and adequate customer care. As a result, a complete rebrand of the company as Monarch Structures was necessary for the brand to reconnect with urban planners and architects as it set out to reclaim its position at the top.

Design thinking: Our brand strategy, “Dependable by Design,” became the foundation of the new brand’s visual language and unique narrative. Out of the ashes of LMG, Monarch was born, a name rooted in strength and dependability that pays tribute to one of Canada’s tallest and most majestic mountains.

Challenges: We discovered a unique opportunity to photograph Monarch’s products in the wild. The idea of showcasing its products benefiting the people who use them daily seemed like a no-brainer and, surprisingly, was something the competition wasn’t doing. We quickly realized why that might be the case as shooting run and gun in this environment posed many logistical challenges. Luckily, we had a fantastic group of partners who soldiered on and pulled off our vision without a hitch.

Favorite details: In the early stages of brand development, we identified the opportunity to create a dynamic logomark in the shape of an abstract M. By simply flipping and rotating the same three elements, we created a suite of uniform but slightly different marks. It’s a visual reflection of the brand’s personality of being adaptive and relevant. The logomarks are used throughout various deliverables and have become a bit of an Easter egg for the brand.

Visual influences: Urban street signs and aesthetics inspired Monarch’s new visual language, providing a refreshing and unique platform. Diving further into this inspiration, we broke away from category conventions by photographing Monarch’s products in-situ, showcasing them and, more importantly, the people who benefit from them daily. The brand visuals are shot in black and white and further connect to its urban heritage.

Specific project demands: On the one hand, we had a fantastic client who believed in the power of creating a brand with impact and who had utmost faith and trust in us to deliver on that. On the other hand, we were halfway through brand development when COVID-19 hit and the world paused. Hitting pause wasn’t an option for our client or us, so being able to quickly pivot and get creative enabled us to soldier on and deliver on all levels.

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