Allstate, the second largest insurance company in the U.S., was gearing up to launch a new online portal where its network of small, independent agents could purchase marketing materials. Thinkso branded the newly minted “Agency Marketing Storefront” and created a system of sub-identities for the dozens of marketing products and services called “platforms” — helping Allstate better organize and market to their agents, and giving agents a clearer presentation of the resources offered.
To emphasize that the Agency Marketing Storefront is the place to buy marketing services, an abstract brick-and-mortar motif was employed as a device for both the AMS and marketing platform identities.
Marketing platforms can differentiate themselves by name, signature color, and custom iconography—the combination of which is governed by a template to ensure overall consistency. Platform icons are loosely based on differentiating characteristics of the service. In addition to being featured in the platform lockup, the icon can also be used in an expressive pattern form.
The most direct and effective element for distinguishing one platform from the next is the strapline—a simple, one-sentence value proposition that can be used as an editorial lead-in, headline, or logo lockup. Thinkso recommended and developed the straplines to help Allstate agents more easily choose the resources they want to purchase.
Type, logos, patterns, imagery, and iconography can be combined in a variety of ways. The brick-and-mortar motif expands and contracts to create fields of texture, color, and messaging. All treatments subscribe to the standards of existing Allstate brand guidelines.
To further test drive the new identity system, Thinkso provided design sketches of the AMS and platform user interfaces. We created storefront “signage” imagery that further emphasized a sense of place for the Storefront.
We created styles for sales presentation decks that can be used to sell to independent agents.