Darwin’s concept of evolution — that new species or populations of living things develop from preexisting forms through successive generations — forms the foundation of biology. So, as an agency that serves customers in the life sciences, it seems only fitting that Cobalt finds itself evolving as readily as the living things around us.
In 2010, our logo took the shape of a nautilus because the living fossil stands as a superb example of how speciation has occurred on our planet. It also stands as an example of a golden ratio logarithmic spiral in nature. The logo saw a minor update in 2016 and another update in 2019.
As these changes to the Cobalt identity were taking place, the company was also changing. In 2012, there was only one official employee; in 2013, there were two; in 2016, there were six; and in 2019, there were eight. Today there are 10 team members located in five states.
The focus of the company was also evolving. What started as an agency delivering editorial services — writing and editing — began to offer graphic design and branding, as well as the communications strategy required to get campaigns and other marketing activities off the ground.
In 2021, as our client roster and project portfolio grew to include an array of science and R&D-driven organizations recognized for their forward-thinking technologies and products, it became clear that our identity needed to grow, adapt and better reflect our expanding business. It also needed to incorporate a more contemporary design approach that recognized our brand history.
We engaged ourselves in a rebranding project that required introspection — and inspection of other similar brands. We studied our competitors, as well as other like-minded agencies, and determined a path forward that aligned with our values and differentiated our brand from the competition.
The result was the identity you see below — a logical evolution of the Cobalt brand built on a C-shaped mark symbolizing many things: motion, biological organisms, and adaptation. The mark also pays homage to the nautilus symbol, with its logarithmic spiral shapes indicated by the nested curves. In addition, our logotype has been updated and now consists of the modern typeface All Round Gothic, which features curved letterforms to accentuate the circular flow of our new logo symbol.
Our new branding also incorporates the following elements:
- A cell structure pattern as a supporting graphic for our communication materials.
- An updated color palette with new secondary and tertiary colors. These are both bright saturated pigments and deep, rich accents that pair well with our unchanged cobalt blue, charcoal grey, and white primary palette.
- A new library of photographs with stunning imagery of science in both lab and natural settings.
- An updated illustration style to explain complex ideas more easily.
The Same But Different
The evolution of the Cobalt Communications brand continues to represent our mission, vision, and strategy in fresh ways. Our core beliefs aren’t changing — but updating the brand will help us better reflect who we already are and what we stand for to our clients, while showing the intrinsic beauty of science and the humans behind it.
The Cobalt website evolved alongside our identity, better describing the markets we serve and the services we offer. We encourage you to check out our new digital presence and to submit your opinions about the changes, whether good or bad. Simply look for the Let’s Talk button, click to access the form and start a conversation. We look forward to hearing from you — and continuing to evolve our brand to best reflect what we offer and how we address the needs of our customers.
Communicating complex ideas is hard. We make it easy.
Have a project you would like to discuss?Please use the form on our Let’s Talk page.
