While they may be renowned for their big events, it’s the smaller meetings and more personal connections and partnerships where they really shine. Early in 2020, confidence and optimism at MCEC was at an all-time high, unsurprising given they'd been full for the better part of the last decade.
The global pandemic forced change. With the world at a standstill, their run of success came to a crashing halt, but MCEC found the courage to pivot, focus and keep moving, by embracing the opportunity to re-imagine their world. To challenge the ways of the past. To be brave. To be smart. And to come out the other side stronger than ever.
- Travel & Tourism
Sectors
- Brand Strategy
- Brand Identity
- Brand Language
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Customer Experience
- Brand Management
Services
MCEC was at a turning point. In order to succeed in a post-Covid world, and an increase in competition from physical and virtual event destinations, MCEC were compelled to deeply reflect on who they were, knowing that they needed to rally around a clear purpose that would inspire action and connect to an inside-out experience.
As a large format convention destination, it could be assumed that MCEC is in the business of events, but the further we immersed ourselves in their world, we recognised that their core ability is in making personal connections – with immense impact. This gave MCEC their clear and compelling purpose, with the elasticity to cover the scale of what they deliver – moments big and small – by connecting people, both inside and outside the business.
This set us on a path to build a powerful creative platform. MCEC wanted to retain and build on their existing brand equity in the M symbol, whilst ensuring the brandmark was fit for purpose in digital spaces. Our approach was to strengthen and refine the iconic M monogram whilst updating the typemark to a more robust and contemporary solution. By striking the right visual balance between the typemark and symbol the overall brandmark has evolved to be more confident and legible at small sizes.
A dynamic graphic device, which has its genesis in the MCEC symbol, became a pivotal element in the brand toolkit and a key ingredient in bringing MCEC's purpose to life: to be the home of the unconventional. Custom typographic nuances, such as an unconventional stroke height in the N letterforms were crafted to complement the symbol and give the brandmark its own unique character.
Furthermore, we elevated the colours in the symbol to form the basis of the brand's colour palette. We simplified the mutli-coloured palette of the past thus punctuating MCEC's unique combination of red, orange and pink. The typeface features distinctive tails on the t, j and y that end at right angles, working in harmony with the geometric elements found throughout MCEC's brand toolkit.
While we may all still be adjusting to this new normal, MCEC have wasted no time in putting their brand to work. Confidently stepping out into a changed world and eagerly welcoming people back into theirs. Since launching, MCEC have wholeheartedly embraced their brand with a beating heart of courage, curiosity and creativity.
Embracing out of the ordinary thinking, already they have begun to use their space in new ways, such as training guide dogs, opening Australia’s first Drive In(Door) Cinema, a COVID-19 vaccination hub, an immersive digital gallery and even using empty exhibition bays as a Hollywood film set.
In some respects we were looking for a unicorn; a partner that was strategic, understood complex stakeholder environments and could translate insights into powerful positions and strong creatives.
Vibeke Stisen
Director of Marketing
