The Casper Group Brand

Services

Brand Identity, Brand Strategy, Design, Digital, Marketing

Sector

Maritime & Logistics

Unifying a 150 year old maritime family

The Brief

As Casper continues to experience consistent growth and new business acquisitions, they needed an aligned brand story and identity which showcased their scale, reputation and full service offering. As well as visual elements, this included the key role of rationalising its architecture, defining its proposition and crucially, unifying disparate divisions into one cohesive family under the Casper banner.

Background

Since 1872, Casper has delivered a comprehensive shipping and maritime service with a professional and personal approach. Drawing on vast experience to offer a proven, ever-ready service, they blend the best of international scale and independent spirit. They also pass on their knowledge to the community, helping to shape future careers through extensive social commitments.

The Solution

Following an extensive DISCOVER phase, we defined Casper as an ever-ready guardian informed by 150 years of experience. They’re ready to offer strong intuitive support when things are going well and a calm, rapid response if things go wrong. Their approachable hands-on sensibility allows them to solve problems creatively, practically and quickly. But most importantly, there was one thing we heard time and time again — they are always there; always ready; always responsive; always present; always available. This unlocked the ALWAYS ON proposition.

Unifying a 150 year old maritime family

The Brief

Background

The Brief

The Solution

High alert

We wanted to come up with an appropriate visual metaphor that could symbolise the ALWAYS ON proposition, as well as act as a symbol or even a monogram for the brand. By fusing the idea of around the clock attention with high awareness, we created a radar sweep that could easily double as a stylised letter C. This sweep also became the core of a flexible circular grid, allowing us to create dynamic layouts that further enhanced Casper’s distinctive look.

High contrast

Early on in the process Casper told us that blue is everywhere in maritime branding. It is the default so unless we were doing something radical with it, they’d rather we avoided it. Instead we looked at the colours of alert, colours that have the highest contrast and symbolise warning or readiness. This is why we arrived at the distinctive core palette of black and yellow, something that not only stood out but also had a rationale behind its use.

We are unified

While previously falling broadly under the Casper umbrella – at least in an ownership sense – each division had its own history, reputation and visual identity. One of our first tasks was to rationalise Casper’s brand hierarchy, which was key to finding and informing their future business strategy.

It soon became apparent that the overarching Casper Group should take precedence with divisional elements positioned below, followed by services. This was achieved through adaptations of the top level brand, with divisional specific colours adding structure and clarity, while elevating the wider brand presence in-line with already established divisions.

Stronger together

To strengthen Casper’s digital footprint, we designed and built a new website that reflected their restructured brand hierarchy. The platform placed focus on the Casper Group as the master brand, with dedicated sites for each division. While the top level site carried group wide messages and information around history and CSR, individual pages focussed more on each division’s specialisms and unique services.

Built on heritage, driven by progress

Casper has weathered every kind of storm imaginable. From the lows of The Great Depression to the boom of the offshore industry, through the Rip-Roaring 1920s and the uncertainty of a global pandemic in 2020 – Casper’s excellent service and reputation has never wavered.

With history and heritage dating back to 1872, we helped Casper celebrate its 150 year anniversary by designing a celebratory logo. Developed from the existing ‘high alert’ identity, this shines a light on a key milestone that reflects confidence, assurance and peace of mind for customers.

"The brand process and strategic recommendations from Better were the catalyst for our transition to a group offering – helping us to realise our potential and provide consistency and alignment across the organisation. Since then, business acquisitions and new openings have further complemented our family of companies. We’ve evolved from a regional sector specialist to a national business with European satellite offices, numerous divisions and multiple revenue streams."

Michael Shakesheff

Managing Director, Casper Group