Grim up north?

As an exiled northerner plying my trade in London for almost 15 years, I've watched from afar as provincial UK design & digital agencies set about challenging the oft' held perception that good creative doesn't travel outside the M25. So, as a member of this year's Roses Awards, it was with eager anticipation that I traveled to Glasgow to investigate firsthand.

As the winners are yet to be announced, it would be unfair of me to talk about specifics, other than to say it was a really interesting and thoroughly enjoyable day with lots of heated debate and hard decisions from a talented and passionate jury. But the thing that really struck me was that in some ways there really isn't any divide at all – The actual design and communication ideas were as good (in some instances better) than anything I've seen from London agencies, and the desire for 'clever ideas' in some of the work was very much in keeping with traditions held by the likes of Pentagram, Johnson Banks and The Partners.

However, the one thing missing for me was a rich and intimate understanding of Brand and what branding really is in the 21st Century. Don't get me wrong, most of the entries in the Corporate Identity category were well thought and crafted pieces of work with worthy winners and nominees, but the fact that there's still a category called Corporate Identity highlights the penny's still to drop.
Yes, we still (and probably always will) need logos, business cards and the like, but is that really now the primary way a 'corporation' communicates its identity? Or is it through its brand – that complex mix of visual, tonal and behavioural signposting that evokes emotions, fosters experiences and encourages conversations?

The digital world is changing everything and the real creativity in brand is in creating a much deeper, richer and intimate sense of identity. No longer just about the way something looks, but how it behaves, feels and exists in the real world. It's not just a challenge for provincial agencies though, It's something we all should be striving for.

So thanks to all the organisers and fellow judges, it was a brilliant day and I came away inspired and excited about the future of British design. I just hope I'm invited back one day to judge a jam-packed Brand Identity category.

Steve Owen