A United Kingdom | Part I
Rebranding 'Britishness' through highlighting and re-inventing modern mainstream British slang.
Brief
Rebrand 'Britishness' so it accurately represents contemporary 'British' Identity to promote and represent all people and culture in the United Kingdom.
The British brand has long been outdated, it uses superficial symbols and icons that arguably do not represent what it means to be British in our modern day. Contemporary Britain is not accurately represented – Ask anyone around the world and common themes like tea and the monarchy are the first things that are recognised. If it’s not these stereotypical icons, Britishness is represented in a very nostalgic way. This particular nostalgic strategy of British Branding idolises the past and suffers from selective amnesia.
‘Britishness’ needed an urgent rebrand that holistically represents the peoples that inhabit it.
Solution
It was critical that this rebrand could be easily adopted but also deeply integrated into British culture. Instead of more conventional approach to a rebrand such as changing logos or flag designs, a more unique medium was selected. This rebrand focused on the British language. Each culture has its own distinct colloquialisms and vernacular. It is a part of what makes a language unique and filled with character. British slang is filled and built up of a diverse range of cultures. Pidgin and creole languages were created during the slave trade and is prominent in contemporary British slang. This project aims to promote and highlight this multiculturalism that is evident in English.
Bold typography was used to pair phrases that originated from pidgin languages with a non-pidgin counterpart. The letterforms of each phrase were designed to interweave with one another. Each phrase is in its unique typeface reflecting the individuality of different cultures coming together. These typographic explorations were featured on tote bags and postcards that provided information to help educate the public and spread the word.
An exploration and celebration of the diverse languages of Britain
Featured on the front side of the tote bags highlight the intermingling of English languages with a Pidgin/ Creole Language. The Overlapping and intertwining of letters highlight Britain’s cultural Identity and educates people on other languages spoken in the United Kingdom. Pidgin and Creoles are languages created from a European language, such as English, but combined with another language (usually a speaker’s native language) to create a dynamic hybrid. These languages are widely spoken, but are not promoted, yet they perfectly showcase the intermingling of cultures influencing one another. Highlighting this helps educate people on the diverse languages that are spoken in the UK.
Educating people about diverse British culture and history.
A lot of British history is not remembered. Colonialism has greatly affected the socio-political environment today. The origins of pidgins and creoles dates back to the slaves trade in the 1400s. Natives and the British had to understand one another; thus, Pidgin languages were created to communicate. These tote bags introduce a more complex history of Britain that is not usually mentioned but opens conversations of deeper understanding.
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Postcards are a great way to advertise a country or place. It’s small dimensions make it easy to transport and has great potential to reach a lot of people. The typographic compositions were altered to fit a small A6 postcard. Not only was it an aesthetic visual that people would like, but the back side of the card had information promoting British history and culture.
