Project brief: To design a logo and identity that would express the merging of two advertising agencies into one—Oveja Negra + Lowe—while maintaining the irreverent, witty character of the local company whose name translated to “Black Sheep.”

Approach: We developed a whimsical, highly ironic identity that lived up to the company’s irreverent and witty character. First, we created an acronym of both companies to communicate the idea of two becoming one, allowing the number 1 to double as a lower-case l. The company’s new office space was affectionately called “the embassy” for its government-like formality. We took that notion and developed a linear color bar that borrowed from the flag-waving, formal world of the diplomat. The typography is reminiscent of old Latin government paperwork. We used handwriting picked up from government stationery bought in flea markets in Mexico City. The sheep became a character in the identity, changing locations and colors randomly and surprising the viewer. It functioned as the agency’s “crest.” We then overprinted the colors to create unique combinations.

Effectiveness: The new identity received acclaim within the industry and, more importantly, internally. Staff felt that it had managed to maintain their agency’s culture, while at the same time expressing the energy of the new dynamic.

Successfully merged the identities and yielded a whole new, fresh concept.