MAUD

With a heritage of 210 years, Australia Post is as Australian as Vegemite. However, over time, this iconic and trusted brand had become fragmented. There was an opportunity to unify the business with a consistent brand, one that would meet the needs of all customers – from government departments through to Post Office visitors. Under the new leadership of CEO Christine Holgate, Australia Post was also determined to communicate the organisation’s important and unique role within the community, to ‘put the Australia back in Australia Post’.

We began with a broad immersion phase, interviewing over 20 GMs and senior stakeholders from across the business, and facilitating workshops with design and communications staff. The findings were captured in a design strategy dossier – a touchstone to refer to throughout the engagement for MAUD and AP teams alike.

We evolved the Brand Architecture model, to capture and divert as much equity from the organisation’s vast portfolio of products, new innovations and brands towards the masterbrand. The architecture model helped to reframe the organisation as more than just a ‘postal delivery’ business, highlighting the strength of it’s financial, identity and essential services portfolios.

We crafted a narrative to inspire the new brand identity: the Backbone of the Nation. The backbone reflects the new business strategy, highlighting Australia Post’s critical and enduring role in communities nationwide and its purpose to connect people with each other and the world.

To signal a change, we created an evolved visual identity to simplify and consolidate the system and unify Australia Post’s teams with a powerful and consistent brand. We released the iconic Postal Horn symbol – an enduring and omnipresent mark on Australian streets since 1975 – from its container and balanced it with a new wordmark, elevating ‘Australia’ to highlight the organisation’s focus on the role it plays for its communities and economy.

The colour palette dials up the distinct red and white, while the custom typeface balances character with utility to communicate clearly at all sizes and scales.

The brand launched in October 2019 across Australia Post products, livery, signage, digital channels and communications – meeting Australians in their homes, high streets and Post Offices across the country. By simplifying its complex branding, amplifying its core character and unifying its systems, a revitalised Australia Post can once again take on its critical role in and for Australia with confidence and clarity.