Evolution Sorbent Products is a large global business headquartered in Chicago. After supplying the UK and Europe directly from the USA for a number of years, a decision was taken to open a manufacturing facility in the UK. I was briefed to design a new logo for the UK business as a stand alone entity. It became clear after discussing the requirements for the global business that a one size fits all approach wouldn’t work. A corporate identity that would have a ‘family feel’ but also be able to work individually in separate countries was particularly important.

Branding Evolution Sorbent Products in the UK

One of the key outcomes of the design process was to establish that the UK business was different from the US parent company. This was to address a complicated supply chain and give Evolution Sorbent Products (ESP) access to a greater share of the market in the UK and Europe. The existing US company logo was in a simple three letter format with the ‘E’ being twice the size of ‘S’ and ‘P’. To complicate matters even further, some products carried ESP branding that had to be the same for all countries!

The old ESP logo used in the US

A new logo with the potential to expand

I designed a number of options and possible routes mindful that it would be required to work at small sizes, in single colours and occasionally side by side with other logos from the global group. It is my intention to eventually convince the client that a single global logo can be revised to cover every possible use.

Absorbents manufactured from polypropylene by ESP primarily come in either pads or as rolls. The corner of the fabric curled over at the top forms the triangular shape under the updated cleaner lettering. Within this shape I applied a stylised graphic of the flag of the applicable country. This flag branding allowed ESP to apply a consistent style of logo where ever they wanted. This was particularly relevant as ESP wanted to licence and franchise their micro line absorbent manufacturing technology in locations around the world.

Having been established in the UK for just under three years at the time of writing, the logo has become distinctive in the absorbents industry and the accompanying branding means that distributors and wholesalers recognise the company simply from the consistent styles applied from the beginning.

Pages from ESP UK’s brochure aimed at distributors of spill and leak recovery products

Business cards featuring ESP UK logo

Various stationery items produced by Ian Schofield Ltd for ESP UK