LIMERICK City and County Council has connected international marketing experts with local design students as part of the process to develop a new brand for the city.
M&C Saatchi, who have been engaged to develop the new brand identity, met with fourth year students in Graphic Design at the Limerick School of Art and Design (LSAD) for a workshop as part of their design and consultation process.
M&C Saatchi managing partner Mary Harris said it was vital for them to get a deep understanding of Limerick and to meet the people who are building the future of the City and County.
“LSAD has a wealth of fresh creative talent and we were keen to engage with the students on a creative level. We were delighted by their input and the new perspectives that they shared. It was great to collaborate with these talented young designers from such a renowned college.’
“Limerick is a very special place with an amazing story to tell. We’ve really fallen in love with it. It’s a resilient place with real grit and energy which has allowed it not simply to overcome challenges but to thrive on them – as exemplified by the incredible story of the Dell factory rebirth as Troy studios.
“There is a lot of untapped potential in Limerick – something already identified by global brands who are making the decision to invest there. We are excited about the impact on the city, the county and the region in general when their compelling story is shared with a wider international audience.’
Describing it as a wonderful opportunity for the students, LSAD head of graphics Eamon Spellman said that they spent the day with some of the top brand specialists in the world, inputting into a key stage in the development of a brand that will mark a key moment in Limerick’s remarkable resurgence.
“Our students were delighted with the opportunity to take part in this workshop and work with M&C Saatchi, who shared some really positive feedback. It really was a very inclusive creative collaboration with the students highly engaged and sharing their fresh perspectives. It was great to see the creative conversations happening as the group bounced ideas off one another and I think everyone got a lot from the process.”
Council head of marketing and communications Laura Ryan said they needed a strong umbrella brand for Limerick that is world class and reflects the scale of the city’s ambition.
“Limerick has really become the urban success story of the last five years and now has a great new story to tell. The fact that M&C Saatchi, one of the world’s leading agencies wanted to work with Limerick says a lot about where Limerick has arrived at.
“Over the last number of months they’ve met and engaged with a lot of stakeholders in Limerick, got to know the city and county and today is another exciting stage in that process,” she explained.
Brand Limerick will be unveiled in mid-2019.
