Brand beyond borders

In spring 2020, Experian PLC completed the acquisition of a majority stake in Arvato Financial Solutions Risk Management, Germany’s second-biggest credit provider. As usual with any merger, this transition required a clear and effective rebrand.

The bigger challenge? At the time of the acquisition, the world was in the middle of a global pandemic, with virtually all employees based at home, offices locked down and a ban on international travel.

Luckily, Linney was on hand to help…

Creative comms

We began by developing concepts for an appropriate, ‘feel-good’ welcome gift for all Arvato people based across Germany and in neighbouring countries. With remote client sign-off, we’d need to source the gifts, design and create the packaging and facilitate simultaneous delivery to over 100 colleagues.

Interior design from afar

It was also vital to transform the external and interior branding of the Arvato estate. With five major offices, Linney appointed Germany-based partners to scope and survey each site. Working under strict COVID-19 safety regulations, they measured every meeting room, lobby, corridor and kitchen, enabling the interiors team at Linney to model and design each space accurately. We developed a ‘design kit’ with graphic patterns, language and logos to encourage consistency across each site, working in close collaboration with the relevant teams who’d eventually go back to work there.

Taking shape

In less than four weeks, we redesigned each space in each location with Experian branding, transforming spaces overnight. Gifts were deployed to all staff in their homes across Europe on time, and the rebranding of each office was in place for our client’s shareholder announcement deadline.