Corticeira Amorim, established in 1870, is the world’s biggest cork processing group. Their rebranding was commissioned on the occasion of the company’s 150th anniversary and the new visual identity now links a long history with a strong commitment with the future. The graphic concept lies in a very simple idea, grounded in the landscape and the heart of the company - cork. In our research phase, we observed the land and the people, the traditions and the tasks involved in cork production. Most memorable was the stripping of the cork, particularly the care and precision with which the bark is extracted from the trunk. This is done by hand, preserving the integrity of the tree and allowing for the self-regeneration of the bark. Here we found an interesting metaphor to explore. We reduced the O to a synthesised graphic element which represents the embrace of the cork to the oak, the care required in its production and extraction, and the cycles of renewal which are integral to cork production.
Amorim is a large multinational group, so we then had to develop the visual system into the myriad of companies operating within it. One of the touchstones of this project was the development of a specific typeface - Amorim -, designed by DSType Foundry. Amorim Serif is the main typography. It preserves the necessary conservatism expected of an historical company, reformulating and updating the outlines to meet criteria of adaptability, legibility and contemporaneity. Amorim Sans, without serifs or contrasts, was designed to complement it. With a more functional performance, it allows to manage the dense communication on the more complex level of the many brands and products of the Group. Articulating the typeface with a rational layout system, as well as colour and image codes, allowed to integrate the system’s complexity under a coherent global identity.
The design system derived from the observation of linear patterns: of the oak barks when piled up and stored, and of the linear rhythm seen on the inner structure of the bark, revealing the nine layers of its growth. The different business units are communicated through signatures that integrate the main Amorim brand, which allows to underline the cohesion of the entire group. The green colour of the previous brand, related to the values of ecology, biology and organical, evolved to a purposely ambiguous colour that adds the perception of blue. This choice creates renewal over a logic of continuity, which reinforces the patrimonial dimension of the past with the vision of the upcoming future.
