Smile Rooms Rebranding & Guidelines

Client: Smile Rooms Group Cosmetic and General Dentistry. The client is an established name in dental care and services in the UK, with numerous operating locations in various places, boasting a solid base of loyal, smiling customers.

Objective: Modernization and elevation of the "Smile Rooms" brand. Bringing its recognition to another level, captivating attention through novel color schemes and logo variations, web design, social media strategies, and more.

Background: Smile Rooms, known for its welcoming and joyful atmosphere, sought to rebrand with minimalistic luxury aesthetics in mind. The rebranding had to reflect the brand’s mission of spreading smiles and joy, literally.

Challenge: Refreshing the brand without altering its well-established logo, ensuring multitudinous new design elements seamlessly integrated around. Communicate professionalism, luxury while also be perceived as accessible, inviting.

What to do: A comprehensive overhaul of brand’s visual identity, focusing on color, typography, photography; creation of location-specific logo variations. Unification of Smile Rooms' presence, visibility and appeal across various platforms.

Outcome: Smile Rooms’ brand identity was successfully elevated, achieving minimalistic luxury while retaining the essence of its welcoming nature. Online presence and general recognition were improved, engaging more customers.

Reflection: This rebranding case underscores the importance of balancing innovation with convention. By carefully embracing novelty alongside existing elements, Smile Rooms appealed to a broader audience while staying true to its core.

Introduction

When Smile Rooms approached Mariya Design for a rebranding project, they were clear about one thing: the essence of their logo had to remain intact. Recognized for its inviting smile, brand's logo was a beacon of positivity and comfort, embodying the very essence of Smile Rooms. So, the challenge was to elevate brand's identity, infusing it with a sense of minimalistic luxury, while holding on to its core values of joy and welcome. The creative process was aimed not just at a visual makeover, but rather at reinforcing brand's commitment to instill happiness and smiles across wider public.

Milestones

Primary goal was to bring Smile Rooms' identity to a state of minimalistic luxury without compromising brand's recognizable logo or their inviting character. In addition, a coherent brand presence across various platforms had to be established, as to enhance and expand customer perception. Last, but not least, I was tasked with preparing specific logo variants for each location, thus making these both consistent and unique. Such rebranding had to navigate a fine line between novelty and tradition, ensuring the essence of Smile Rooms (spreading smiles and joy) remained the cornerstone of its identity.

Logo Redesign and Variations

There was a specific client request to preserve the original brand logo. I, however, saw room for subtle refinements to enhance its appeal and versatility. А proposal in that regard was crafted and the client was happy to accept the modified version. The smile symbol, a universal sign of happiness, was kept at the forefront of the branding. The above-mentioned Josefin Sans font was utilized in the logo for its modernity and legibility, aligning with our strive for luxury aesthetics.

A condensed square-format version of the logo was created for squarish applications, perfect for social media profiles and app icons. This variant accommodated the smile symbol for better fit and visibility in certain environments.

I also developed a logotype version, incorporation a smile symbol within the brand's name. The logotype is meant for horizontal layouts, ensuring impactfulness and neatness for use on website headers and letterheads.

As for Smile Rooms' own physical location in the town of Reading, the client asked for a tailored branding, thus this location is marketed as “Reading Smiles”. Such approach offers a unique twist while staying true to the overarching theme.

Color Palettes and Typography

A new primary color palette was deliberated for fulfilling the above-mentioned objectives. I prepared a sophisticated blend of "Raisin Black", "Pine Tree", "Platinum", and "Tuscany". These specific colors were selected to evoke a sense of refined elegance while maintaining Smile Rooms' amicable, inviting atmosphere. Raisin Black and Pine Tree provided a grounded, earthy base, while Platinum and Tuscany added a touch of luxury and warmth, respectively.

Together, a secondary color palette was composed, consisting of "Tuscan Red", "Deep Taupe", "Japanese Indigo", "Deep Space Sparkle", and "Dark Liver". It complements the primary one, enhancing brand's overall visual appeal. By utilizing both, customer experience is elevated, irrelevant of whether the touchpoint with the brand is digital or physical.

For Smile Rooms (and for successful brands though), typography is a key element, encompassing a clever application of fonts or typefaces to emanate brand’s identity. A steadfast typographic style is indispensable for consistently expressing brand's personality. Josefin Sans Font Family was correspondingly selected as the best instrument for the task at hand.

Stationery and Photography

Every brand, even the most progressive, needs a consistent and expert physical representation. Thus stationery is always relevant and desirable. I prepared relatable designs for Smile Rooms' business card, envelope, letterhead, and poster. These materials aim to reflect brand's personality and voice, while maintaining a cohesive visual identity.

The rebranding understandably included the photography style, emphasizing inspiring, action-oriented and compelling imagery. I put my focus on creating emotional ties through authentic, relatable stories. The provided guidance for Smile Rooms' brand photography was pivotal in crafting imagery that not only advertised, but also resonated with brand values.

Diverse model types were picked to echo the brand's welcoming approach, with styling that emphasized professionalism. Brand colors, filters and graphic elements were infused into the moodboards. The aim was to create visuals that fostered a strong emotional bond with the audience, portraying the brand's personality through warm, inviting, and joyful imagery.

Social Media and Online Presence

My approach to social media was to create a c

oherent, permanent presence that mirrored the positive atmosphere of Smile Rooms. Content highlights include showcasing brand's services, sharing professional knowledge, hosting promotional campaigns, and engaging community through proactive interactions, testimonial and sharing user-generated content.

Mariya Design came up with complete strategy to strengthen the brand's online presence, to foster new connections, and to establish Smile Rooms as the leading dentistry service provider in the UK. This goal is pursued through meticulously upholding the brand identity, by maintaining responsive customer service and promoting testimonials and success stories.

Smile Rooms’ website acts as a digital extension of brand's physical spaces. To foster a superior connection with current and potential customers, and to reinforce the commitment for excellence in dental care inside brand's own digital home, relevant web design was crafted. It provides a beneficial experience for everyone, regardless of the platform they browse upon.

Conclusion

The rebranding of Smile Rooms was a holistic endeavor that touched every aspect of the brand's visual and communicative identity. By carefully balancing the preservation of their iconic logo with the introduction of new desirable elements, Mariya Design curated an elevated brand identity that spoke volumes of minimalistic luxury, while staying true to Smile Rooms' inviting atmosphere of spreading joy. From color palettes, thoughtful logo variations and typography, with revamped stationery and photography, through a dynamic social media strategy and enhanced online presence, Smile Rooms was poised to continue its successful mission with a renewed sense of elegance, expertise and authenticity. The brand is more than ready to welcome new and existing customers alike, greeting them with a sincere smile and making sure these customers leave and return themselves with a beautiful smile.