More was to be the anchor for Black and Company's new brand (discussed at length elsewhere in this site). The visual language of investment banking seems to consist of pictures of well-fed men shaking hands, gold foil stamping, and marble backgrounds – status cues perhaps a hundred years old.
But Black & Company no longer wanted to be part of that club; its leaders held to an idea of a fiercely regional, independent investment bank that would make a point out of not being all things to all people.
We developed an assertive, elegant brochure, built around four photographic still-lifes (from the lens of our friend Michael Jones) of common, natural materials – twigs, stones, leaves – meticulously arranged to illustrate the company's values in an unexpected and compelling way.
Cover and opening ceremonies.
The typography in and of itself is quite restrained and delicate; but the dynamic arrangement of the type areas and bold use of color keep it from being stuffy or precious.
Overview.
Mission-related pages, discussing the company's offering from the national, regional and individual viewpoints, and setting up the detail pages to follow.
More involvement.
Pages explaining the company's strategic advisory services, illustrated by a leaf composed of dozens of smaller leaves of varying species.
More attention.
Pages describing the company's corporate finance services; the illustration is hundreds of careful tally marks made of twigs.
More insight.
Pages describing the company's equity research services; the illustration is a careful basket-like form made out of local grasses.
More balance.
Sales and trading services discussion; balance is the theme here, and the illustration is of rather improbable stacks of river stones.
