Branding &above

&above came together in early 2023 following the merger of RCCO, a digital creative agency, and WILD, a video production studio. When I joined the team the new brand was little more than a name and a moodboard. Working closely with Jordan, Tom and Josh, the three founders, I was tasked with building the visual identity from scratch.

It had to play nicely with our big tech clients but not appear cold or uninviting to the start-ups and charities we worked with too.

It had to showcase the technical skill of our tech department while still selling the creativity at the heart of the design and video teams.

“Andy has an eye for typography with attention to detail. His clean and editorial approach enabled us to design work spanning from logos to brand assets with clear guidelines and thoughtful delivery.”

– Jordan Richards, CEO & Founder, &above

The Process

After a series of discovery workshops I had a clear picture of the team’s motivation for the rebrand, both collectively and individually.

The initial ideas were built around visual cues from the name &above. Staircases, arrows, clouds and more which were eventually stripped back into what has become the core of the brand. The ampersand is a versatile symbol representing connection and creativity while still being modern.

We didn’t need a flashy colour palette or fancy typeface – the role of the brand identity was to compliment our client work rather than distract from it.

The Final Result

The &above visual identity is built around Aeonik Pro from CoType Foundry with a custom ampersand. Using abstract graphics and animation we added energy to an otherwise editorial brand.

I combined a deep understanding of design principles to establish solid brand guidelines but pushed the team to break and challenge them at every opportunity.

The strong fundamentals represent the tech and strategy offering, while the warped text and graphics showcase the creative design and video teams.

The World’s Smallest Kite

An estimated 15,000 people attended the Cannes Lions Festival in 2024, who took the opportunity to network, share ideas, and – probably – hand each other business cards.

With &above's recent rebrand, we wanted to capture attention from our new vantage point. Enter the World’s Smallest Kite.

&above’s World’s Smallest Kite demonstrates to our new connections at Cannes the playful, fun and creative side of the agency while paying homage to traditional ways of exchanging information.

It reminds us that there is still space for physical media in an increasingly digital world.

“I really enjoyed working with Andy, who has a clear love for what he does and a broad, academic knowledge of creative. He only ever came at work in a really nice manner, which always gave projects every chance of success.”

– David Hillier, Chief Strategy Officer, &above

Key Skills
Branding, Logo Design, Graphic Design, Typography, Design Direction, Design Leadership, Digital Design, Print Design, Editorial Design, UX & UI Design, Motion Design, Illustration

Primary Deliverables
Visual Identity, Brand Guidelines, Sizzle Reel, Pitchdecks, Website Design, Social Media Graphics, Print Collateral