Elmwood repositions globally, uniting studios under single proposition
Elmwood, the strategic brand and design consultancy and part of the MSQ Group, has announced a new global positioning centred on the promise of moving clients from intent to impact faster.
Daniel Binns, Elmwood’s Global CEO, commented: “The world isn’t waiting for more brands. It needs better ones, and in today’s messy, distracted and fragmented landscape, brands can get lost in the noise. It takes powerful intent to stand out because breakthroughs don’t happen by accident.
“Brands have a fleeting moment to communicate their story, so every touchpoint needs to be cohesive and purposeful. We believe the future belongs to the intentional, and our new proposition conveys how we realise our clients' ambitions faster. Getting them from intent to impact by creating better brands that are more meaningful, more memorable and drive more momentum.”
The new identity incorporates elements from Elmwood’s 45-year heritage, such as its ‘e’ marque and green palette, which have been reimagined. Motion, iconicity and simplicity are central to the refreshed design as the agency broadens its offerings to include brand strategy, creative and a full range of experiences. Collaborating with typographer Dan Forster, Elmwood has redesigned the ‘e’ mark to embody its new values, featuring deliberate serif details in the letters, especially the ‘o’ and ‘d’ in the wordmark. This design language extends across all visual assets, from typography to animation.
The updated colour palette introduces a brighter lime green named ‘hot elm,’ a nod to Elmwood’s brand history, alongside a darker legacy green with earthy undertones. The typeface Maison Neue features new demi and mono weights to support data representation.
Critically, the new branding is crafted to complement, rather than overshadow, client work, allowing Elmwood’s strategy and design leadership to shine while putting client brands at the forefront.
Susie Hunt, Chair of Elmwood Asia, said: “This repositioning marks a pivotal moment for Elmwood in Asia and the Chinese Mainland following the acquisition and merger with Holmes & Marchant three years ago. It makes clear our proposition to the market: we get our clients from intent to impact – faster.
“We understand the strategic and creative challenges brands face in Asia’s diverse markets. There is no one size fits all solution. It’s why we offer unique services to each client across strategy and insights to brand design, campaigns, and content.
“Going forward, our teams will continue to measure every project for creative, cultural, and commercial impact – a commitment to meaningful and effective outcomes, not just outputs.”
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