Published on September 15, 2020
Laws of Attraction are delighted to have been involved in an extensive research and rebrand project for Ovarro (formerly Servelec Technologies). We were appointed in late-2019 after Servelec Technologies had acquired Primayer in August 2019, a world-leading developer and manufacturer of Intelligent technologies for the effective monitoring of water networks and for reducing the loss of potable water. The brief was to unify both companies under a new global brand name that would resonate with their core audiences and support the companies overall growth strategy in the years ahead.
The project began in October 2019 with an extensive research process that encompassed Vibe® surveys, telephone interviews, interactive workshop sessions, and roundtables with board members and key stakeholders. We were particularly interested in the thoughts and feelings of customers and channel partners because the strength of those relationships is intrinsically linked to the performance of any business. All of that feedback and insight was carefully analysed and crystallised to help us formulate a clear, strategic vision that would form the foundation of a new and distinctive brand. A brand that remains proud of its combined heritage but is very much focussed on the future.
Creating & Developing a new brand name
As with any new brand or rebrand, the name is usually the most divisive part of the process. Names are, by design, very personal. They’re emotive, subjective and open to interpretation, so it’s understandable that anything put forward should require careful consideration and much deliberation. We went through several rounds of discussion with all the key stakeholders until finally it was unanimously agreed that Ovarro was the right name to take the business forward. The new brand name was fast-tracked by the board to undergo all legal and trademark checks, the URLs and social media accounts were secured, and extensive cultural sensitivity tests were carried out, making sure the new name wouldn’t cause any potential future embarrassments as the business expanded into new territories. All of this ensured we hit the deadline for the legal name change in early-March 2020.
The name, Ovarro, comes from a Roman named Marcus Terentius Varro who, in 36 BC, presented his ‘honeycomb conjecture’ stating that a regular hexagonal grid or honeycomb is the best way to divide a surface into regions of equal area with the least total perimeter. His conjecture was finally proven by mathematician Thomas C. Hales in 1999 and so confirmed the honeycomb as not just a symbol of engineering ingenuity, but of exceptional efficiency and collaboration. So why, Ovarro and not just Varro? Good question. Aesthetically and phonetically, the O’s bookending the name make it look, feel and sound softer and more balanced. However, the inclusion of the additional O is far from superficial. The O is circular in shape and circles are universal symbols with extensive meaning. In the context of the company, it represents Earth and the solutions that Ovarro offers – spanning the globe – connecting technologies that advance productivity, safety and environmental performance.
Bringing a new brand name to life
With the new name approved we set about creating the new brand assets and collateral, starting with an extensive brand guide that would outline the framework of the new brand personality and provide guidance on how the brand should speak, look and behave. With the brand guidelines in place, we began to tell Ovarro’s story through video, social media, print advertising and exhibition materials (the latter of which may not see the artificial light of day for some time yet). As well as the primary brand identity we also designed the product architecture and logos for Ovarro’s extensive range of solutions and technology.
Aligning around 30 product lines from two distinct companies in a unified architecture was one of the biggest design challenges we faced during this project, but it also turned out to be one of our biggest triumphs. We ensured products, parent products and the solution categories they fell within were quickly and easily identifiable by creating an elegantly simple visual hierarchy. Each product has its own specific features and benefits and so we also created an extensive new icon language, comprising of 60 bespoke icons for sectors, solutions, technology, features and benefits.
“I’ve been very impressed with Laws of Attraction’s ability to work under pressure, on a complex project, and still consistently deliver high-quality creative. They have been steadfast and diligent at every step of the process; from the initial discovery phase to researching and concepting our new name, and of course the delivery and roll-out. We’ve all enjoyed working closely with them throughout and look forward to strengthening that relationship in the future.”
David Frost, CEO, Ovarro
The new strapline ‘Connecting Technologies’ is the thread that ties everything together. The choice of ‘connecting’ as a doing word was very deliberate because the solutions Ovarro provides are extraordinarily proactive – helping to advance productivity, safety and security. The honeycomb pattern that is used in the brand identity and across the suite of assets and communications is the visual metaphor for these connections – a symbol of the strength and efficiency of collaborative working, and the synergy of people and technology to deliver exceptional solutions.
We are currently updating all assets including the internal values and competencies collateral, and the Employee Value Proposition so all communications and messages are aligned, both internally and externally.
“It's been a pleasure to work with such a driven and diligent client, and the fact that we’ve been able to deliver an enormous amount of high-quality work in a relatively short space of time is testament to our shared passion for this project. We look forward to continuing to work closely with Ovarro, to further develop the brand and connect with new opportunities.”
Graham Forbes, Creative Director, Laws of Attraction
"Laws of Attraction have helped us transform two brands into a single global brand. Harmonising our product architecture; repositioning our messaging and giving us a platform to scale as we grow our business and product offering in the future. Thanks to the research phase of this project; the new brand and positioning still draw on the strengths and core values our customers and employees have come to know us for over the last 40 years. Working with LOA felt like an extension of our own team which is so important when delivering a project like this in such a short space of time."
James Brook, Global Marketing Manager, Ovarro
If you are looking for support with your branding, repositioning or employer value proposition get in touch with one of our team via attract@lawsofattraction.com