O'Reilly

The identity design of a real estate company that keeps growing. Background Design has the fortune of participating in key moments of companies and their brands. When Michael O'Reilly, Gonzalo Torrado, and Juan Pablo Sanguinetti called us to rethink their identity, it was no exception. A real estate company with more than 13 years of experience and sustained growth throughout its history. Together with a coach, the three partners had divided their trajectory into seasons, reminiscent of Netflix series. Each major stage of their history represented a new season. The Challenge They could clearly identify relevant milestones that were key to defining their first three seasons, and the new milestone for the start of the fourth season was the reason for calling Grupo Berro. What should we call ourselves? What is the identity that best represents us? How should our company's communication be? All important questions when defining a branding strategy in a highly competitive environment. The brand included a long name, formed by the 3 last names of the partners, accompanied by a symbol with the initials O’R. Internally, each partner named the company as they saw fit. For some, it was the three last names, for others, it was their initials, OTYS. Others felt comfortable summarizing it simply as O'Reilly. There was no coherence. Although the company had a logo, it did not have a clear name. The Development In an environment full of visual pollution, it becomes increasingly difficult to communicate. It is imperative to convey simple and clear messages. We conducted a survey of the brand and the real estate market. We evaluated the existing identity and compared it with its competitors. We analyzed the color schemes of the entire category. With all that information, we developed a diagnosis and worked on new identity proposals. We always try to understand and value everything that brands have already been doing, especially when the project is made to continue growing and not because something is not working well. In a category where the dominant colors are red and white with the presence of blacks and blues, we defined to continue with the green colors present in the existing design. When choosing the name, we listened to what was said internally as well as what others said about the brand. 'Branding is what they say about us, when we are not there'. And most of the people we consulted spoke neither of Otys (which was the name formed with the initials of each surname) nor mentioned the 3 last names. O'Reilly was the name that felt most comfortable for the brand. It was the name of the founding partner and also had the visual opportunity to work with a synthesis formed by the letter 'O' and its apostrophe. The Result The result presents a brand with a simple yet innovative symbol that is easily recognizable. A symbol that can be applied flexibly across the various uses and platforms where the brand communicates. We respected the color scheme, honored the DNA and the journey of the company, and presented a renewed brand. A clear evolution that is aligned with the communication strategy the partners had defined for the new season of their venture.