“A name can define a person,” points out Pascal Viguier, founder of Curius. “But it can also define an agency.”
His theory, which sounds reasonable, is that the secret of finding the right solutions for clients lies in being open, alert to the world, and ready to embrace the unconventional.
“When I started the agency in 2003 I wanted to show that design was not a rigid discipline, which trapped clients in a graphic chart, but rather one that could accompany them on a day-to-day basis and constantly change with them.”
He observes that while design typically establishes the foundation of a brand, it often then steps aside to make way for other forms of communication, such as advertising. “I wanted to create a fusion of the two, placing design at the heart of communication.”
Based near the Canal Saint Martin in the suitably bustling 10tharrondissement of Paris, where there is plenty of fuel for the curious, the agency has 15 members of staff. Some are consultants, some are designers, and others have a mixed background that reflects the agency’s multi-discipline approach.
“I wanted to work for big clients right away, to show that although we were a small agency, we had the capacity to work for major brands, both strategically and creatively. Sometimes strategy and creative are too far apart, and you have agencies that are strong at one or the other, but here we insist that they’re at the same level, working together from the start.” The portfolio of existing and previous clients includes the RATP – which runs the Paris metro and bus services – luxury department store Le Bon Marché, Hennessy cognac, the Secours Catholique charity and the American Hospital of Paris. Curiously, if you’ll excuse the pun, the agency also works for a handful of law firms.
“The first project was for a law cabinet called Ayache Salama, and we completely broke the codes of branding in the field,” Pascal says. “We created a new tone of communication, a new language.”
This, too, is coherent with the agency’s philosophy. Pascal believes a brand’s identity should not only be entirely unique, but also make an emotional connection. He doesn’t believe in “corporate” branding – for him, all brands should be human and, as he puts it, “generous”. In that respect, revising the staid conventions of law firm branding was the perfect mission.
But is it easy to convince clients to explore disruptive solutions? “It’s difficult in sectors where you’re on new territory, trying something that’s never been seen before. Fortunately there are clients who don’t want to take a well-travelled route, but who truly want to stand out.”
BRAND ARCHITECTS
Another fairly challenging project was the rebranding of Le Bon Marché’s customer loyalty programme, to make it feel more fun and spontaneous, given that the store itself is exclusive and upmarket. The result was a separate brand, 24 Sévres (after the store’s address), that feels like a delightful secret between members, including their own chic magazine. “It’s a project I’m proud of because we created something that felt closer to the customers, a world in which they could see themselves.”
Meanwhile, Pascal describes its work for the RATP as “the synthesis of all that we are”. Over the past 15 years Curius has handled everything from metro station décor to diaries and New Year’s cards for staff. “If there’s one thing you can say about the agency, it’s that we’re adaptable,” he says.
That’s why it’s important to be able to offer many different disciplines within one agency. “Because then at the beginning we can reflect on a solution together, without pushing the client in a particular direction too early.”
So what makes a branding design agency so different from an advertising agency, many of whom offer expertise in branding?
Pascal says: “There is an overlap, certainly. But in the end, design is different because it’s not fixated on any particular media. We look at a brand in an objective way. Our role comes before the other disciplines go to work: before advertising, PR and so on. A brand platform in advertising might last two years; a brand identity must last ten years, or more.”
Surely a logo should last forever, though? Not so, says Pascal. “When we started Curius we’d already come to the conclusion that a logo could have multiple expressions – a bit like Google has done since then. Ten or 15 years ago the logo was sacrosanct, unchanging. But now I think it should change depending on the circumstances or who it’s addressing.”
As long as the initial identity is solid, built by a design agency that has established strong guidelines, there’s room for experimentation. “We’re the architects of brands, but also their guardians,” he says. “We make sure the message is always coherent.”
A frozen logo, after all, is not a generous one.
“What we want to do, above all, is remove the frontier between brands and their customers, creating a relationship that’s warmer and more stimulating for all of us.”