07 Jun Correos, a new image that goes far beyond aesthetics
Whiplash team, June 7th 2019
Correos, a new image that goes far beyond aesthetics
Correos, one of the legacy brands in Spain, with more than 300 years of history, presented earlier this week its new corporate image “simpler, more open and digital”. The rebranding, supported on the three strategic lines that have driven Correos’ business transformation in the last years –sustainability, digitization and internationalization– seeks to show the company’s ability to adapt to the needs of the 21st century. In this regard, Eva Pavo, director of communication and marketing, said that “with the intense transformation occurred in recent years it was necessary to modernize the brand.”
For years now, sustainability has been one strategic pillar for Correos, that is aware that, given its high volume of business, any action it carries out will have an impact on society. With its new corporate image, Correos goes one step further in its commitment to sustainability, beginning with the new logo that, by eliminating superfluous elements, consumes less ink (all water, less polluting) and vinyl, thus inserting itself in a more “Nude” philosophy (less ink, more sustainable packaging …), in tune with the demands of a society increasingly aware of the need to take care of our planet.
As part of the implementation of the new image, in the packaging, all cardboard 100% recycled, the line Verde has been replaced by the line Bosques de Correos. This one “aims to promote the reforestation of the national territory, as well as to sensitize society on the importance of preserving natural values and biodiversity, with a contribution of 3 cents per package”.
Since year 2000 the Verde line – now Bosques de Correos line– has been the source of funding for “Bosques de Correos”, an initiative for reforestation and recovery of degraded areas thanks to which more than 90,000 trees have been planted in 19 forests throughout Spain. In addition, envelopes are produced with paper coming from sustainably managed forests and Correos has replaced the transparent plastic window by “glassine” which is 100% cellulose, aiming for them to be carbon neutral.
Everything is in line with the sustainability objectives set by the group that include improving air quality in cities, combating climate change, consuming in a sustainable way through efficient use of resources and increasing the percentage of recycling by reducing the amount of waste.
These objectives are framed in Correos policy of excellence and sustainability, which is concreted in various actions such as the gradual renovation of its automotive park to reduce CO2emissions. Today the company has the largest fleet of electric vehicles in the country, with 594 units between vans, cars and motorcycles, and the intention is to continue extending. In addition, since 2018 its energy consumption is entirely supplied by renewable energy sources, according to the guarantee of origin certificate.
A coherence and consistency that shows across the entire organization and that is certainly paying off, as shown by the results of the first quarter of 2019, in which packages have been the engine of growth, with a revenue increase of 21%.
This commitment also shows clearly in Correos’ new corporate image, that in own company words, adapts to the change of business paradigm experienced in the last four years, going from a purely postal service to leading the parcel market in the country, with more than 160 million of shipments per year. All of this has, of course, involved changes in logistics, human resources and even fleet.
Regarding aesthetics, in this new stage, the public company has opted for a more simple, visual and international language, in tune with its expansion strategy, initiated with the launching las April of Correos Express Portugal and including Southeast Asia as next.
The updating of the brand was made by Summa, an agency that has carried out the rebranding of other emblematic public sector brands like RTVE. “Correos is an endearing brand, an icon characteristic to the urban and rural landscape of our country and therefore any modification in its identity elements should be carried out with utmost care and being faithful to its essence”, explains the agency on its website.
The new logo has been built from the design created in 1977 by José María Cruz Novillo and, although it vanishes the name, maintains fundamental elements such as the cleat and the crown, as well as the yellow corporate color, that gets greater presence throughout the whoe display of the brand image. In general, “the new design eliminates or simplifies various elements, keeping others, such as the cleat with barely noticeable touches. Basically, it can be considered a restiling, very respectful with the previous work, maintaining the formal essence, strength and elegance of the brand by of maestro Cruz Novillo”, says BrandSmith’s creative director, Miguel García Machín.
It shows the isotype in its simplest form, to create an international symbol, recognized and recognizable by the Spanish society and applicable to all types of media and documents. “We are committed to giving the symbol greater prominence, eliminating accessory elements that added noise and leaving it to be the only identifier element of the brand, regardless of the naming,” explains Summa on its website. “The symbol is aligned with pixel perfect philosophy, allowing a better performance in confined spaces and digital media, where the brand is increasingly present”.
To explain the new logo and, by the way, capture the attention of new generations, Correos has launched a trap in which, in a funny way, it describes the change of image with a catchy chorus: “Cross, double eme, stripe, spiral”, which refers to the logo elements: the cross, the double eme and the stripe that make up the crown, and the spiral cleat.
As important elements in the development of the new visual image of the corporation, Summa has also created a specific typography for the group, which has been baptized as Cartero and has developed a unified visual system based on the label as a fundamental element for sending and receiving letters or parcels. It is “a modular and flexible system that identifies all the pieces of communication of the brand in a transversal way,” explains the agency.
We will have to wait to see how the new corporate image develops, meanwhile, the Correos’ trap may become a summer hit.
