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HLM
HLM is a renowned architecture, landscape, and interiors firm with a reputation grounded in deep sector insight. Operating at the forefront of design across the UK, their work spans diverse sectors, from education and healthcare to living spaces and public infrastructure. While their innovative projects have consistently turned heads, HLM wanted to honour their legacy while simultaneously celebrating their current growth and looking toward an exciting future.
They came to us with a mission—create a meaningful campaign to spotlight their story in a way that felt true to their roots, energised their brand, and resonated with clients, collaborators, and the communities they serve. They didn’t just want a static celebration of their past; they wanted something that radiated the same passion and ingenuity that fuels their designs.
Now Then Love Concept
Enter HLM – Now Then Love, a campaign that married the charm of Sheffield’s local dialect with a powerful storytelling framework. The concept infused warmth, authenticity, and creativity, transforming HLM’s narrative into something unique and relatable.
The Meaning Behind the Name: “Now” represented their thriving present—a company that continues to lead with innovation and sector expertise. “Then” symbolised their storied past, celebrating the legacy of visionary design and craftsmanship.“Love” underscored the admiration and passion they pour into every project, a sentiment shared universally across their clients, staff, and community.
The phrase “Now, Then, Love” felt like a hearty welcome, a deep nod to Sheffield’s personality—and it perfectly encapsulated HLM’s essence.
To bring the campaign to life, we leaned into HLM’s branding lines—literal and metaphorical. We converted several of their architectural wonders into elegant line drawings, creating a striking yet minimalist visual identity. These bespoke illustrations showcased the incredible diversity and quality of HLM’s work while tying everything back to the organisation’s core identity.
EOT Fest
But it didn’t stop there. The campaign created a foundation for an ongoing creative partnership between our team and HLM. Together, we’ve delivered on numerous follow-up projects, including EOT Fest, a annual event, run by the Employee Ownership Association (EOA).
EOT is an champions the positive impacts of employee ownership on companies, by raising awareness of the benefits for both individuals and the wider business community.
We created a vibrant branding using their corporate colour palette along with additional colours and rolled out across various printed materials. We decided to use a block font to represent them building the business together.
For nearly 10 years, working at 3 different companies I’ve worked with Shaun and his team on projects ranging from key product campaigns to social media strategies and internal festivals, they always come to the table with fresh, creative ideas that resonate so well with the target audience. Some of our earliest campaigns are still going strong which is testament to the quality of the work and the success that they were. I never hesitate to introduce Shaun and Ben to new companies such is the confidence that I have in them to deliver what we need.
Rebecca Ball
Head of Marketing & Communications
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