Rochdale Creates

Services

Brand Identity, Brand Strategy, Verbal Identity

Sector

Property & Placemaking

Creating cultural change in Greater Manchester

The Brief

Rochdale Borough Council approached us to help reposition Rochdale's story, placing culture and creativity at the heart of its place-making strategy. The goal is to create an ecosystem of collaboration and unity among organisations and individuals, with the brand serving as a rallying point — a collective movement that unites, inspires, and empowers. The brand should showcase the stories of Rochdale's creative and cultural communities, and demonstrate their value to help attract investment and create a better living environment.

Background

Supported by Arts Council England's Cultural Development Fund, Rochdale Development Agency are working on a creative focused initiative to unlock local economic growth and productivity, enhance the attractiveness of Rochdale as a place to live, work, visit, and invest, and also strengthen local leadership, partnerships, and capability. To be truly transformational, they need branding that paints a vision for the future; something distinctive and ambitious enough to challenge existing perceptions and inspire a sense of ownership among residents.

The Solution

Following a phase of on-the-ground immersion and stakeholder engagement, we shaped a Brand Strategy, Manifesto and distinct verbal identity that harnesses the energy, ambition and heritage of local communities, placing creativity at the heart of Rochdale. Visually we brought the story to life with a modern, ambitious and deliberately edgy typeface developed with Fatype and a directional monogram that unlocked a system built around angles and intersections.

Creating cultural change in Greater Manchester

The Brief

Background

The Brief

The Solution

Expressing opportunity and aspiration

Rochdale Creates boldly harnesses and proudly champions creativity as a catalyst for change. Whether it be as a borough, as a community or as individuals. Everything they do is done to shift perceptions; to transform; to grow.

We developed a Big Idea that’s dynamic and flexible. It can be used on its own, as part of a campaign or as a central internal thought. As a two-part statement: Rochdale Creates always remains, with the second element able to be switched and replaced. They can be very top-level about Rochdale in general, or they can be very specific to an event or creative discipline. The only rule is that they are always positive. They should play a key role in shifting perceptions about Rochdale and expressing an aspiration of what Rochdale can be.

The Visionary Changemaker

Led by an enlightened perspective and the ability to offer insight for the greater good, Rochdale Create’s archetype blend is born to make a difference and affect the cultural, social and economic landscape. With a firm belief in the power of the collective, this is an archetype that converts creative energy into practical expressions and tangible results. A hands-on approach is balanced with an intuitive spirit, realising the power of culture, creativity and imagination to shift behaviours and alter perceptions.

Modern, ambitious and unconventional

Rochdale Create’s bespoke typography visually reflects their personality and voice. It’s a bold and pioneering choice that challenges, changes and carves a new future. Sharp, stylised character options are a nod to the quirks and disciplines of creativity, bringing clarity with a unique twist. We enlisted Fatype Foundry to create a custom cut of their Beausite Classic Sharp to strike the delicate balance between style and accessibility.

Setting the stage

Taking the shapes and lines from the logo, we created a framing device that can be used to showcase every creative discipline or event. Just like the Big Idea, this agile brand element provides a window into Rochdale’s creative and cultural scene; from workshops and concerts to exhibitions and galleries. It also allows venues and partners to be present in our brand.

Throwing shapes

To add further versatility to the brand system we added a pattern system rooted in the geometric angles of the identity along with a secondary palette to allow elements to be highlighted or differentiated when necessary. An icon suite for signage and wayfinding was also created, along with multiple templates for a range of platforms - ensuring ease and consistency during the initial rollout by in-house teams.