A brand guidelines book open lay flat on a white surface.

Oakland, California

Jack London Square Branding

Named for the writer Jack London, the neighborhood is undergoing a revival and was in need of a vision, brand, and signage and wayfinding program. RSM Design became Jack London’s of record in fall 2017 and set to work reimagining a full brand system to communicate the essence of this hip district in Oakland.

Markets

Services

  • Branding & Logo Design
  • Vision & Narrative
  • Brand Strategy
  • Logo Development
  • Brand Guidelines
  • Print & Digital Collateral
  • Branded Environment

Client

  • CIM Group

INSPIRED BY THE CITY AND ITS CREATIVE CULTURE

In our quest to give Jack London Square a new face to its name. RSM Design acknowledged that it already had a strong brand equity as a historic working waterfront. RSM Design focused on creating a place for locals to connect to the water with expanded residential offerings, existing retail commercial base; and activating the links to commercial areas. The new brand’s identity and guidelines reflect the brand’s principles. The established brand guidelines and kit expresses the positioning and personality, which exhibit characteristics of the people and historical notions of the location – timeless, bold, rugged, proper, adventurous, dashing and handsome qualities.

BUCK THE WOLF

We developed Buck the Wolf, as a mark to  distinguishes Jack London Square from the primary typography logos. The wolf alludes to Jack London’s most well-known work, The Call of the Wild and its protagonist, Buck. This silhouette is the most understated of all the brand element.

A DISTINCT LOCATION WITHIN JACK LONDON SQUARE

Water Street was the historic main waterfront road. We aligned this historic street with the new development, and the existing usage of commercial and office building; and created a brand that would represent this new destination that would foster a linkage between two residential towers and a promenade for guests to shop and eat. It was important to distinguish this promenade from Jack London Square. So RSM Design conceived a modern brand with similar principles as timeless, bold, and eclectic.

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