The power of the brand; once the exclusive terrain of big business, it is now a major issue for countries across the globe. A strong brand has value and creates value. Every nation has its brand – the way it is perceived by its own people and by the rest of the world (often very differently).
A country’s brand is defined by its people and their temperament, its history, its economy, its culture, its landscape and its ambitions. There is far more to nation branding than logos and imagery. It is tone of voice, stories, tastes and scents, imagined landscapes and the evocation of emotion.

The red dragon is the most recognised of Welsh symbols and it seemed churlish to abandon this icon of Welshness for the sake of being different. However we also knew that it would take a very special sort of dragon to create the strong visual identity we were searching for while also reflecting Wales’ nation brand values. Real, magical and challenging.

The creative process saw us getting ‘back to basics’- pulling out paper and paints to capture the essence of the Welsh dragon with just a couple of brushstrokes. Like Wales itself the finished mark is down-to-earth and unfussy, but dig a little deeper and you find originality, warmth, pride and just the hint of something magical.

UK Roses Design Award 2007: Corporate Identity