A bold new brand and launch film for the Brunel Centre

Building trust is arguably the biggest challenge that any new research centre faces. It arrives with no track record of its own – even if the people involved are well regarded – so it needs quickly to find its audience and make a strong case for why its work should be taken seriously. 

Branding – the visual ways in which an organisation presents itself – is an important early step in that direction. For research institutes, think tanks and other similar bodies, an effective brand will signal seriousness and rigour at a glance, giving their work a credible platform from the outset – even while they are building their reputation.

The Brunel Centre faced precisely these challenges, needing to make an immediate impression on a limited budget. The Centre is a new economic research institute, based at the University of Bath and funded by the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council. It connects decision-makers with academic expertise and provides evidence on the impact of policies and business strategies, with the aim of lifting productivity and opening up opportunity across the West of England. 

Two things mattered most for the Brunel Centre: a visual identity strong enough to give them a presence from day one, and a launch film that could explain its mission to the audiences it wanted to reach. The film also had to earn its keep long after launch, so it was made to be clipped and reused across social media and beyond.

Designing a brand the team could actually use

We started by getting to know the team, through onboarding sessions and a workshop to map where the Centre wanted to go. That gave us the grounding to build an identity around its actual goals, not just its sector.

The result is bold and simple: geometric shapes, a strong colour palette and clean, confident typography give the Centre a look that signals innovation and rigour without feeling cold or corporate. Movement runs through the branding as well. Directional shapes suggest progress, reflecting an organisation built around growth and change.

And, for a small team the identity is easy to run with and apply in their day-to-day work. It is optimised for use across print, digital and animation, and it was designed with social video in mind from the start. This gives the Centre a consistent look and the freedom to keep making content without starting from scratch each time.

A film that keeps working after launch

The launch film premiered in March 2026 at the Watershed Cinema in Bristol, where it was warmly received by the client and sector colleagues. It pairs the Centre’s new branding with library footage and a strong, clear voiceover to explain what the organisation is all about.

This film was made to be shared. The full film suits a launch or an event, but it can also be cut into shorter clips for social, dropped into a presentation or embedded online. For a new organisation that needs to build its presence, that flexibility is worth more than one polished set-piece. Watch it here.

Getting it right from the start

For a new organisation, brand is one of the first things that builds credibility. A clear, confident identity helps people grasp the work quickly and trust it sooner, which is what puts the research in front of the audiences who can use it. And when the evidence lands well, that trust feeds back into the brand, so the two strengthen each other over time.

For the Brunel Centre, that loop starts now. 

If you’re launching something new, or rethinking how your organisation comes across, we’d be glad to talk.