The Brief
Walker Morris is a leading single-site law firm whose reputation, quality of work and scale of operation had long outgrown their brand identity, market proposition and Leeds HQ.
This created a gap between the obvious calibre of the firm's output and how the brand was being perceived in the market. This led to a full repositioning and brand identity refresh, grounded in evidence rather than assumption.
Our brief was not only to close that gap but also to set the firm up with a brand capable of enabling future ambitious growth plans and supporting the business as it continued to evolve.
This meant starting with a robust 360 degree research phase - client listening, a review of Chambers and Legal 500 feedback, internal stakeholders conversations, competitor mapping - to uncover the core truths about Walker Morris that could be turned into a distinct and memorable positioning that would quickly close the perception gap, whilst offering a vibrant long-term platform for a myriad of brand building campaigns, internal initiatives and recruitment activity to continue the firm’s impressive growth trajectory.
The Response
Through the diagnosis two truths were undeniable: the ambition and innovation behind the firm's thinking and impact, and a genuine resistance to legalese, a preference for plain, jargon-free language that speaks to business people, not just lawyers.
The ability to advise and communicate with non-lawyers, in terms anyone could understand, is central to the Walker Morris experience.
These research-led truths translated directly into the new positioning line: "Bold Thinking. Simply Delivered." — capturing both the ambition of WM's thinking and their commitment to clarity over complexity.
This positioning has informed every possible touchpoint of the brand, both internally and externally through a comprehensive visual identity refresh, starting with the logo…
Logo — refined rather than replaced, keeping equity while sharpening its presentation.
Pinstripe device — born from the logo development and introduced as a new distinctive brand asset that helped to systemise the identity and allow endless application for the in-house design team to easily grasp.
Colour palette — teal retained as a primary colour to preserve brand recognition, extended and modernised with supporting tones to give depth and variety whilst remaining obviously Walker Morris.
Overall aesthetic — pared back and more confident, creating space for the personality of WM's partners to come through in both the verbal and visual identity, rather than a house style that flattens individual voice.
The new identity has been rolled out through brand guidelines, internal documents and events so far, with further rollout ongoing as we take the new positioning into campaigns and new business driving activities.