SERVICES
— Brand
— Identity
— Communications
— Digital
SCOPE
Founded in 2017, headquartered in Edinburgh. Purchase is a platform to discover and collect emerging artists. Their objective is to connect you with the art world's most exciting emerging talent through meaningful experiences. Membership to purchase gives exclusive access to their series of intimate artist dinners, studio visits, practical masterclasses on collecting, visits to private collections and the occasional international jolly.
We were contacted to help the founder flesh out the business and its offerings. Plotting the brand on a three-year road map enabled us to forecast growth, expansion and developments. We were also asked to develop the visuals for the brand. The aim was to create a cohesive look and feel, which was exclusive and fun.
A key moment in the strategy was naming the business. It was in our minds from the beginning to settle on something that was authentic and intelligent. It had to hold its own in isolation and have real impact, visually and verbally. For those reasons, we steered clear of art world jargon and stayed true to the business model itself. Purchase is a memorable and handsome word, which clearly articulates the story and intentions of the brand.
Purchase had to look professional and trustworthy but, as a members-only platform, also had to appear cool, collected and coveted. It had to entice and excite, without compromising its reputation. We distilled these sentiments into a systematic combination of elements: the typography, the colours and the materials.
We kept graphic expressions to a minimum. The type selection, typesetting and proportionality is deliberately restrained. The palette is bold, but not overbearing: red is the brand signifier and is reserved for the logo and text. Its application is either on yellow, navy or cream, but these combinations are sometimes inverted.
These colours are derived from the base materials, which were supplied by G.F Smith. There are some lovely material and colour combinations. We selected Power Blue from the Gmund range and Rough Cream from the Munken range. These premium paper stocks give the attention to detail that members expect. The purchase brand also utilises premium finishes instead of standard CMYK printing: the use of foils and tactile processes instantly lifts the printed collateral and enhances brand reputation.
The chic simplicity with which the custom-built website is finished is perfectly suited to the bold, intelligent and polished tone that the brand exudes. It was essential that this website supported the entirety of the customer journey, from that first touch to conversion.
