If what you sell isn’t ‘sexy’, your brand needs to be

When you think of brands that sparkle with creativity, your mind probably goes straight to lifestyle, fashion or FMCG. But what about the sectors that keep the world turning – the ones nobody sees coming? Industrial tech. Engineering components. Infrastructure and construction. Often invisible and overlooked, but absolutely essential to going about our daily lives.

We believe they deserve just as much creative rigour and strategic thinking as any glossy consumer brand. And we’re not alone – research shows that strong brands (regardless of sector) outperform their competitors by 20% (Forrester).

We’ve quietly built a reputation for transforming the so-called ‘unsexy’ stuff into something unforgettable. And frankly, we relish the challenge.

Seeing the opportunity in the overlooked

It’s easy to overlook industries that operate behind the scenes. Energy infrastructure, financial data systems, waterproof membranes – they’re not inherently glamorous, but they play a crucial role in modern life. What they often lack is clarity and a sense of storytelling.

We see teams struggling to find an emotional relevance, something for their audiences to engage with in a way that builds long-term value. And that’s where branding has real power in these types of industries.

Good design helps people understand and invites trust. It makes the complex feel human and relatable.

Balancing strategic creativity with commerciality

We’re not interested in design for design’s sake. Everything we create is focused on commercial impact. No matter how niche the sector or technical the offer, it’s important to be fully immersed in our clients’ world – uncovering the insights that others miss, and translating them into work that connects.

As part of a global brand that operates largely out of sight, Sika’s UK waterproofing division needed a clearer voice in a crowded construction market. We brought their specialist offer to the fore – sharpening the brand hierarchy, refining their messaging and creating engaging communications that empowered specifiers to make a confident choice. We made the invisible, visible and gave their technical products the clarity and credibility they deserved – creating the tools to help Sika’s team sell more effectively.

These transformations have to go deeper than cosmetic appearance. Consistency, clarity and strategic design lead to performance gains – a study by LucidPress showed brand consistency alone can boost return on investment (ROI) by a third.

For our client Heidelberg Materials UK, we brought simplicity and coherence to their communications – aligning internal messaging with their external sustainability goals. It’s a perfect example of how even the most utilitarian brands can benefit from sharper storytelling and stronger design.

Making sense of the intangible

The more complex or invisible the service, the more powerful branding becomes. With fintech clients like Experian, we often deal with abstract ideas, intangible services and huge regulatory constraints. But that doesn’t mean the output needs to be dull or diluted. In fact, quite the opposite. It’s in these moments that creativity becomes a means for clear communication.

We turn complicated propositions into clear messaging – simplifying journeys, distilling propositions and designing brand experiences that are intuitive and engaging. In fact, our work brings warmth and accessibility to sectors that can too often feel cold, disconnected or clinical.

This is exactly where the opportunity lies. When you’re operating within a brand or industry that’s traditionally dry or overly technical, it creates space to be bolder and in turn create higher impact.

We saw this first-hand with NSK, a global leader in precision bearings. We developed a striking internal comms campaign that brought identity and purpose to a highly technical environment – encouraging employees to share ideas, challenge processes and actively shape their culture. We’ve all seen the kind of dry HR messaging that barely registers. But here, we had the chance to do something quite bold, and the result was a significant upturn in engagement.

Why we do it

We’re not drawn to the obvious. We’re energised by the stuff that most people don’t want to touch. The more constraints, the more rewarding the work.

Our team enjoys the challenge of making the invisible visible. It’s incredibly satisfying to bring structure to chaos, to take raw data and extract an emotional hook that resonates. Every brand has a story worth telling, it just takes the right thinking to uncover it.

Do you need help turning the complex into something compelling? Get in touch – we’d love to help. Alternatively, for the latest brand transformation news, take a look at our Articles page.