Octavius Infrastructure - rebranding an infrastructure business
SHIFT was appointed by Sullivan Street Partners, a London-based private equity firm, to rebrand Osborne – the longstanding infrastructure business.
The challenge
Following the acquisition of Osborne Infrastructure, Sullivan Street Partners wanted to rename and rebrand the business.
At the time SHIFT was appointed, the Sullivan Street Partners team had shortlisted a selection of names, which included: Octavius, Obsidian, Horizon, Omnium and Orchard.
This presented SHIFT with five creative routes to explore, which we covered in detail over a comprehensive sketchbook phase. The sketchbook was presented to Sullivan Street Partners for the team to review.
The approach
We developed multiple potential identities for each of the five names. However, one in particular stood out.
This was a proposed identity for Octavius, which was a modern interpretation of the Roman warrior helmet.
Some Roman helmets had brushes – or plumes – of horsehair in a crest. The crests denoted rank; the smaller the crest, the lesser the position. A larger crest denoted a higher ranking officer. Incorporating a large crest into an ‘O’, we developed two options: one with a Roman’s helmet in the centre of the ring, and one without. Both options offered a twist on a classic Roman visual.
The design without the helmet’s inclusion provided the sense of radiant light – almost sunrise-like in its appearance.
This identity was selected by Sullivan Street and refined by Octavius’s communications team.
The results
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Rebranded a major UK infrastructure firm
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Developed a selection of identities based on five creative pathways
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