Few places in Berkshire have a reputation as mixed as Slough’s. Strip back a few decades and you’ll find Poet Laureate John Betjeman’s honest words: ‘Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough! / It isn’t fit for humans now…’ rang true for many who lived there.

The perception of Slough had to change. It needed regenerating; a makeover that would make it into what it is today: one of the top places to live and work in the UK. So when the town’s long-awaited £1bn facelift was announced, Slough Urban Renewal knew that residents and workers would want to know and feel included in the project. And that’s when they asked us to step in.

Their request was an identity that would help generate interest and excitement around the makeover, and all the possibilities that a ‘new look’ Slough would have. So, with the grey concrete of Slough literally being our blank canvas, we knew that eye-catching colours would be vital in engaging with and reflecting the town’s diverse community, and a way of giving Slough a vibrant and attractive personality.

Like shining a torch in a dark room, the colourful campaign and its accompanying stoic messaging was unmissable. It was big. Bold. Optimistic. It communicated change positively – whether it was on posters or on online – without cockiness or any hint of brashness. And this new identity has confidently made its presence felt throughout Slough, and has given a new lease of life to the community and beyond.