Our work for Mur Manteau, a French trade organization.

Warm and stylish

And it’s not even camel hair

Communications for a trade organization may come with their own challenges, but having worked before for an Italian ‘Consorzio’ (the Consorzio Carni Suine Garantite in Reggio Emilia), we were undaunted. As the only non-French agency to pitch for this quintessentially French account, we knew the odds were against us. But we ended up winning over the client with a mix of fresh ideas and a realistic cost structure. Which is not to say that our in-depth knowledge of the industry did not help…

Corporate brochure

The Mur Manteau has nothing to sell—but a lot to promote. Therefore, the corporate brochure was essential. We have used it as a template to overhaul the complete visual identity of the Mur Manteau, which had been rather patchy and not very consistent.

By defining a highly specific graphic language, we have managed to make the Mur Manteau recognizable, to emphasize the specific benefits of exterior thermal insulation, and to make its members’ solutions stand out visually and technically.

An interesting detail: at production stage, this project showed an additional facet of our international know-how. By having the brochure printed in Germany rather than France, we were able to combine very high quality with significantly lower costs. Needless to say, it made the client rather happy.

Trade show and special event displays

Based on the redefined visual identity, we have developed a flexible toolbox. It maximizes the visual impact of the Mur Manteau in various contexts – trade shows, conventions, conferences and PR events.

Newsletters for architects, HVAC engineers, builders & contractors

In France, when in comes to thermal insulation, ETICS are the challenger, not the leader. We have tackled the two main problems—lack of information and fairly deep-rooted prejudice—with a series of newsletters. They combine testimonials, technical subjects and aesthetically inspiring examples.

Newsletters for architects, HVAC engineers, builders & contractors

LinkedIn page

The LinkedIn page is aimed at providing real substance and insights into a variety of technical and environmental subjects, using high-impact photos and QuickTime slideshows. Some posts also put a spotlight on the aesthetic potential of specific insulation systems and finishes.

LinkedIn page

The LinkedIn page is aimed at providing real substance and insights into a variety of technical and environmental subjects, using high-impact photos and QuickTime slideshows. Some posts also contribute to showcase the aesthetic potential of the various insulation systems and finishes.

Technical manuals

Aimed at architects, HVAC engineers and contractors alike, the manuals provide a lot of in-depth technical information in a clean-cut, visually consistent way.

New logo and visual identity

Logo design is one of the very few areas where even the most seasoned professional will not start right away on the screen.

So unless you are an adept of canned vector ‘art’ and your client is looking for corporate identity on the cheap, the old way is the only way. Accordingly, we started with pencil sketches, used erasers liberally, and kept brainstorming for quite a while. Taking into account all the variations in colors, gradients, shapes, typefaces and special tweaks, the logo went through 138 iterations. The reward: a proposal that the 24 members of the Mur Manteau’s executive committee approved right away.

To a clean and simple logo designed for visual impact, we added clean and simple guidelines designed for practicability. They fit on three pages. Having worked for many German companies, we have seen corporate identity guidelines so complex that compliance is a constant nightmare (the most extreme of them all, for an admittedly very large and very famous company, came as a collection of five fat binders…).

Consistent design is essential—psycho-rigidity is not.

Second website relaunch

Website relaunch No.1 had happened back in 2012, as our first large project for Mur Manteau. Aimed at professional users, it was centered on information and examples of outstanding architectural projects that made the best out of external thermal insulation systems.

But the Internet never sleeps. And 9 years later, things looked slightly dated, Flash animations didn’t work anymore and a responsive website was a must. Website relaunch No. 2 addressed exactly these issues, and reflected in addition a complete make over of the corporate identity. It is user-friendlier, more diverse, more fun to interact with and more comprehensive than ever before. But above all, it works just as well on a smartphone than on a laptop or desktop computer. So whatever you need to know about Mur Manteau is at your fingertips—anywhere, anytime.

Seeing is believing: just click here.