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The typographic Times

 

[May 2007]
Inuit : a typeface to reinforce the cultural identity
of a paper brand

Based on an interview of Saïda Berrahal, Communication manager,
ArjoWiggins France

   

Inuit mission
Inuit PaperCustomer : ArjoWiggins, Anglo-French paper group
Product: Inuit, a new ecological range of uncoated papers
Agency: Blast (London)
Type designer: Jeremy Tankard

Project
At the beginning was the brand name « Inuit ». This evokes the environment of the Amerindian, living in the polar land stretching from southeast Alaska to Greenland. The goal was to create a strong corporate identity.
The Blast agency has worked with ArjoWiggins to develop this concept, proposing adapted visuals (photographies of pack ice, Inuit people) and a more original idea: to make design an ad hoc typeface in order to reinforce the graphic homogeneity of the communication. The job was proposed to Jeremy Tankard.
On the basis of this typo, a complete range of communication documents have been developped in order to emphasize the product (displays, brochures, enveloppes, website).

Inuit PaperInuit PaperInuit Paper

PR operation
Capitalizing on the typeface, ArjoWiggins has largely distributed the Inuit typeface among the art directors and the graphic designers in order to encourage their creativity and to incite them to use this new paper.

Expected results
With this typeface, ArjoWiggins has tried to position itself as an innovating company. The choice to develop a corporate typeface was linked with this wish to define a comman language & identity, to add an implied cultural value to the product.


Related articles: AW Inuit typeface portrait & Jeremy Tankard interview (June 2006)