A project completed while at Rufus Leonard, to refresh the visual identity of the National Portrait Gallery.

The brief
The Gallery wanted a strategic review of its brand and visual identity, but did not require a radical re-invention or change of direction. It also wanted to clarify public confusion about its distinction from other central London Galleries, in particular their neighbour, The National Gallery. Their aim was to increase revenue, attract a higher number of visitors and broaden their demographic.

The idea
The brand was defined as one that reflects our own Britishness. Individual portraits of people and personalities collectively provide a ‘portrait of a nation’. The scale of the artworks is human and intimate, and it is this and a sense of familiarity, that gives the Gallery its atmosphere.

Four themes were identified that carry visitors through the collection – History, Art, Biography and Fame. The brand personality was expressed as that of the ‘perfect host’, welcoming and inclusive, yet lively and stimulating. Together with a modernisation of the logo and updated colour palette chosen from the Gallery’s own environment, the gallery took on a fresher and more contemporary feel.