Belgium's leading academic business school has announced a new identity and name, courtesy of Landor Associates (opens in new tab).
Previously known as Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School, Vlerick Business School (opens in new tab) hopes to capture the school’s 'progressive, vibrant and energetic ethos'.
Landor was appointed by Vlerick Business School in May 2011. The agency was given a brief to develop a communication system to support the international growth strategy of Vlerick Business School, enabling it to move beyond the Belgium market. According to Landor's launch material: "Landor’s strategic insights and creative ideas are personified in the new name and visual identity, inspired by the vitality and energy of the highly progressive school’s faculty and students."
The repetition of the V motif, coupled with striking colour choices, is sure to make Vlerick stand out next to the competition.
The new identity takes on the simplified name, essential for any growth outside of Belgium, and can be used across many areas of the school (from its prospectus to its striking interior design).
The school’s Dean, Philippe Haspeslagh, commented, "Vlerick is well-known in Belgium but is yet to be discovered by a broader business audience. We need the brand to catch up with the reality of how we have evolved, highlighting our campus in Russia and our MBA alliance with the Peking University in Beijing, China. We chose to work with the Landor team because we knew they would push us to discover what makes us stand out and help us project that difference."
Patrick De Greve, the school’s General Director, was both surprised and delighted by Landor's execution. "We were looking for a strong partner that would want to walk this exciting journey together with us," De Greve explains.
"Landor positively surprised us with its provocative approach during the pitch and strong methodology for the rollout of the project. Working with a top professional branding team with international reputation, stretched us on the strategic elements as well as the creative side of our rebranding project."
John Stanley, design director at Landor, believes that this new idnetity will move Vlerick above both local and global competition. "Vlerick trusted us to author their future story and bring it to life with a vivid and courageous brand solution that really expresses their ambition to reinvent the idea of a business school for todays world," Stanley concludes.
NOTE: In addition to the new name and visual identity for Vlerick Business School, Landor also created style guidelines which will be applied across media including the website. Landor acted in a brand guardianship capacity with other agencies who are working with Vlerick Business School.
