Pentagram’s new identity for The Conran Shop harmonises tradition with innovation

In the year of its 50th anniversary, The Conran Shop has received a new global brand identity from Pentagram, led by partner Sascha Lobe and branding strategist and creative director Kimberly Lloyd. The sleek rebrand is one that echoes the brand’s dedication to “progress, design and excellence” and pays homage to the “visionary spirit” of the brand’s founder, Sir Terence Orby Conran, a press release explains.

“Sir Terence Conran and his legacy have been the biggest source of inspiration for us,” says Sascha Lobe. “Many years ago, whenever we visited London as tourists, The Conran Shop was a must-visit stop. Then later, during the Bauhaus centennial, our personal experience of meeting Sir Conran and seeing his relentless passion for design up close was truly invigorating. We had a genuine conversation on his legacy – how he sought for the new, how he curated and selected.” Taking all of this into account, Sascha says that the team knew that this notion of “harmonising tradition with innovation” would form the basis of the identity.

From these conversations also developed the idea for a new bespoke typeface family – The Conran Shop Legacy Typeface Collection – which sits at the centre of the overall identity. “We focused on a logo system that was rooted in a multi-level typeface family with the aim to create a visual identity that would elevate the brand to new heights,” says Kimberly. “The result is an open, diverse and versatile identity that carries with it a sense of trustworthiness and speaks a universal language, suited for all markets.” Sascha created the typeface from scratch, which has a distinctly Bauhaus feel.

The brand’s logotype now revolves around a contraction of its name, leaving only a T, C, S and a full stop. The primary reason for this was to help the brand “flourish and evolve” in diverse global markets and to serve as a “visual ambassador”, Kimberly says. This follows the brand’s expansion into existing and new locations, including Japan, Korea and the Middle East. All of these unique graphic elements are then finished in a simplistic baseline colour palette of black and white, finished with moments of bold block colours of red, blue and orange, reflecting the simplistic yet effective colour schemes associated with the shop’s design products.

On the shop’s rebrand as a whole, CEO Peter Jenkins says, “2023 is a special year for The Conran Shop as we celebrate our 50th Anniversary. It’s a big year of transformation and new direction for the brand. The unveiling of a fresh brand identity in this pivotal year is incredibly exciting for The Conran Shop.”