You know that feeling when you’ve attained what you’ve been dreaming of? But somewhere, deep down, there’s a niggly feeling. There is still more to be done. What am I missing? 

For a while, we have felt this need for change growing inside us as if a piano tuner were meticulously tuning one out-of-tune key at a time. Now, our piano is finally in tune and ready to play its part in the symphony we’ve written.

And this is the story of how it all happened.

The Beginning & The Change

Since the establishment of Simon SAYS in 2001, we have continuously grown our talents and toolbox, scaling the mountains of traditional media and marketing with graphic design, creative brand strategy and more.

We moved further into the digital space – the future of media and marketing. But there are certain traditions that we cannot leave behind.

We are not black and white, picking a side between traditional and digital. We built our home in the space between the two. But we do love the black and white of words on a page, whether that page is in your hands or on your screen. We’re bringing back the importance of the written word and we are headed back to the future.

We have evolved and revolutionised our brand. So let us walk you through it.

The Logo

We’ve moved away from the speech bubble and opted for two subtle but very specific punctuation marks. Here’s how they fit in to our new logo.

What is the function of inverted commas, also known as quotation marks?
It is a literary device used to open and close dialogues of direct speech in the written form.

What is the function of a full stop?
It is a literary device used to end or complete a sentence in the written form.

What is the meaning of the open inverted commas and full stop together?
Punctuation rules state that once opened, quotation marks must be closed to signify the end of the direct speech.
By leaving out the closed inverted commas, we illustrate how we are never finished, never done. We are always pushing forward with dialogues and thought processes to advance and excel, and always raising our standards higher and higher, past the perceived end – past the full stop.

What does the imagery of the logo symbolise?
A face can be seen if you consider the inverted commas to be a set of eyes and the full stop to be a rounded mouth. The ‘Oooh!’ coming out of the mouth is the sound we aim for. When there’s a lightbulb moment, it is an ‘Oooh!’ moment. When the design finally pops, it’s an ‘Oooh!’ moment. When an idea comes together, it is an ‘Oooh!’ moment. When we present to a client, it’s an ‘Oooh!’ moment. And when we see the results, it is definitely an ‘Oooh!’ moment all around. This seemingly simple face made up of two simple punctuation marks is filled with meaning and possibility. It is forever open (to interpretation and as a quotation) and represents the minimalism of our straightforward drive towards what is different.

The Brand

We are different. And you can be, too.

That one simple line is who we are and who we always will be. But our outlook is made up of a very particular set of elements which we bring together in a very special way. These are our ingredients. It isn’t a secret. We want you to know what we’re made of – what is the foundation on which we are built.

The real secret is in how we mix it together in our melting pot of creativity on a day-to-day basis.

So what makes up Simon SAYS?

The ‘Oooh!’ moment you see in the face of our logo is something which we strive for everyday with our lateral thinking, in our literary quality, and for our overall literal quality. But what does that mean?

literary
/ˈlɪt(ə)(rə)ri/
adjective 1. concerning the writing, study, or content of literature, especially of the kind valued for quality of form. "the great literary works of the nineteenth century" Similar: written; poetic; artistic; dramatic; published 2. (of language) associated with literary works or other formal writing; having a marked style intended to create a particular emotional effect. "you cannot help notice the remarkable literary, almost lyrical, quality about the work”

literally
/ˈlɪt(ə)rəli/
adverb 1. taking words in their usual or most basic sense without metaphor or exaggeration. "the driver took it literally when asked to go straight over the roundabout" Similar: verbatim; word for word; exactly; precisely Opposite: loosely; metaphorically 2. [Informal] used for emphasis while not being literally true.  "I was literally blown away by the response I got"

lateral
/ˈlat(ə)r(ə)l/
adjective 1. involving lateral thinking. "he's very creative in a lateral way" Similar: unorthodox; inventive; creative; imaginative; original 2. of, at, towards, or from the side or sides. “everyone felt a lateral pull towards the back of the craft”

So what kind of quality is it that our brand represents?

• Lateral thinking is the quality of being able to approach scenarios and problem-solving in a fresh and innovative way.
• Literally, quality is the degree of excellence of something or a distinctive characteristic possessed by someone or something.
• Literary quality is achieved when the sentences you read reach your soul so deeply that they remain forever etched in your memory.

And there you have it! Everything HAS changed. Around us and, therefore, inside us.

We’ve mastered all trades of traditional media and have merged it with the world of digital marketing. We are both catalysts and products of the marketing revolution.

We want to share our expertise with you. Because we see the bigger picture, and we see you.
We are different. And you can be, too.