Independent Leicester

We’re in. Are you?

Arch Creative was approached by Bid Leicester to help invigorate the independent business sector in our city.

Whilst those in the know are well aware of Leicester’s buzzing independent business scene, the aim of the project was to create a new brand and platform to help capture the attention of the general public.

As an independent business ourselves, we were thrilled to win this project. The chance to help a key part of Leicester’s business landscape was too good to miss, and one that we knew Arch Creative would be perfect for.

How to celebrate individuality

We needed a name for the new brand, whilst we could have gone bold and out-there, we knew that wasn’t the right approach. Simplicity was key here. This brand shouldn’t eclipse that of the brands it’s supporting. And so Independent Leicester was born.

An identity to reflect an industrious community

Next up, we needed to create an identity. The brand we created features a distinctive colour palette, and a bold simplicity. The circle motif is flexible and as part of the brand toolkit we built it could be used to represent each single independent business.

We're In Independent Leicester campaign graphics

'We're in' - inspiring campaign messaging

Our creative launch campaign was developed in coordination with the independent PR agency, FU Media. We called the campaign – We’re In. The campaign title and messaging is a bit of a pun which takes the first two letters from independent and uses them as a rallying cry for indie companies. Our aim was to conjure feelings of involvement and togetherness – to use the campaign to help bring together the business community.

The campaign culminated in gathering some of the most prominent figures from Leicester’s businesses and having them explain what Independent Leicester meant to them in a fun and creative way. Check out the We’re In the video below.

The We’re In messaging has been paired up with the roundel design from the brand to create a badge. The Independent Leicester badge will become a mark of quality for companies in the city. It’s a unifying marker that tells passers-by “We’re in, and we care about independent business in Leicester.”

Independent Leicester online hub

Crucial to the success of the campaign was the website. We’ve crafted a searchable business showcase that gives site visitors all the info they need to discover more about the Independent Leicester business scene.

The website provides a home for our campaign video, a hub for Independent Leicester information and a newsroom for the independent industry.

Independent and BID Leicester website
The Independent Leicester webpage on a mobile phone
Independent Leicester social stories on Instagram
Independent Leicester social posts

“We gave Arch a tough brief: to capture the spirit of Leicester’s varied independent businesses in one campaign… Independent Leicester does just that. Together we have created a community that business owners want to be a part of – the eye-catching Independent Leicester stickers can be seen in shop windows all over the city and the website listings grow each week.”

BID Leicester

An inventive Independent Christmas

Due to the success of the launch, our work for Independent Leicester has continued. Working closely with BID Leicester, on the run-up to Christmas we carried out a photoshoot, selecting a cross-section of independent businesses and photographing the owners and managers who were setting up their shops, bars and eateries and getting ready for the festive period.

Our range of images were featured on Leicester City Council’s large format totem boards, as well as animated digital screens throughout the city.

Now, more than ever we all need to support our local independents. Take a look at the website to find out more information:

www.independentleicester.co.uk

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