In light of the new developments, DIA was asked to review the SATS brand positioning, brand architecture and portfolio, naming and identity, with the objective of building a strong brand representative of its strengths in both gateway services and food solutions.

The SATS identity was created as a bold and iconic mark of excellence that communicates with simplicity, clarity and authority. The focus is the circle that symbolises SATS’ global ambitions and represents the seamless and reliable service that its businesses constantly provide. The warmth of the crimson expresses the organisation’s passion and commitment to continually delight and exceed its customers’ expectations. DIA designed the look and feel for the company’s new visual communication materials, and conducted internal alignment workshops for all key staff on the new brand and its implementation.

DIA developed a brand strategy based on the idea of “Choices” to encapsulate the idea that TAK’s range of innovative, exciting and quality products gives choice in the simplest sense – from the everyday to the unusual. ‘Choices’ also describes the world of new possibilities TAK opens up for their customers.

In working to position both the parent brand TAK, and the product brand Lamitak, DIA was deliberate about showcasing the close relationship between the two. Metaphorically, TAK is like a parent, as it is authoritative, and it has stature, experience and gravitas. Lamitak, meanwhile, is like a child because while it has all the positive attributes of ‘the parent’ (TAK), it is also youthful – fun, fresh, adventurous and lively.

The brand expression for TAK, the TAK signature, illustrates the recognisable graphic features that make the TAK signature unique, whereas the Lamitak identity is an expression of its own brand personality. It is trendy, creative and fun. The symbol was formed by transforming a square laminate swatch into a three-dimensional space. It reflects the brand’s mission to educate, excite and create inspiring spaces.

Founded in 1935, UOB has a well-established regional presence, particularly in Asia where the group has banking subsidiaries in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and China. Through a series of acquisitions, it is now a leading bank in Asia. Besides Far Eastern Bank in Singapore, UOB’s major banking subsidiaries in the region are United Overseas Bank (Malaysia), United Overseas Bank (Thai), PT Bank UOB Buana and United Overseas Bank (China). Today, the UOB Group has a network of over 500 offices in 19 countries and territories in Asia Pacific, Western Europe and North America.

For over 70 years UOB Private Banking has been growing its client base in Singapore as well as the region, offering a discreet and highly personalised service in the areas of wealth creation, preservation and succession planning. DIA was approached to design and create corporate collaterals for UOB’s Private Banking arm that would communicate a suite of elite banking products targeted at the sophisticated international investor. At the time, UOB was perceived as a traditional Asian, conservative but stable bank. The Private Banking arm wanted to be perceived as all of that, as well as being innovative, progressive, and with global reach. It was important that the key messaging in the collaterals communicated the idea of expert advice, excellent ‘personalised’ service and the ultimate in discrete, personalised services.

DIA created a single-minded proposition around the idea of a distinguished private banking service offering high quality products and exceptional customer service for the development of the design and content for the corporate collaterals.

The project won the Singapore Brand Award in 2004-2005. Today, UOB remains one of Singapore’s most successful independent banks and a fast expanding regional financial services brand.

Originally established in 1992, Straits is regarded as one of the dynamic, diversified and successful resources groups in Australia. Over the last 17 years Straits have developed and operated a number of gold and copper mines in Australia and Indonesia. DIA has helped manage Straits brand over the past 5 years and helped brand the public listing in 2007 of Straits Asia Resources on the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX).

More recently DIA has designed and produced Straits 2010 Annual Report, a landmark document themed “Building on our strengths”, which draws on the expertise of their people and their strong asset value base. This was leading up to the demerger of their Coal and Metals businesses in January 2011. The objective was to assure stakeholders that Straits has a solid foundation, and is well positioned for a strong and successful future as an independent mining group specialising in gold and copper following the divestment of their coal business. The dynamic images and highlighted statistics in the documents leading up to this important event reinforce the substantial progress Straits has made in rebuilding their core business over a tough financial period.

Shatec Institutes is Singapore’s hotel and tourism college. Founded 25 years ago, Shatec Institutes has built an alumni and an impressive reputation as a leading training and education institute in Asia. However with the establishment of the integrated resorts and the growth of the tourism and hospitality sector, Shatec Institutes identified the need to position itself as the leader and a premium provider of hospitality training in the sector.

DIA developed a new positioning for the brand based on the proposition ‘Host of opportunities’. This was brought to life through a distinctive new brand design with the Shtaec Institutes ‘smile’ at is core, expressing Shatec Institutes’ focus as a provider of hospitality training at the core of all its programmes. A new architecture was developed to give distinctiveness to each of Shatec’s Institutes.