The American Chamber of Commerce in South Africa
Over 600 American companies call South Africa home. The American Chamber of Commerce in South Africa is their voice and advocate.
The brief
The American Chamber of Commerce in South Africa was established in 1977 and represents the interests of some of the biggest multinational corporations in the country. As a dynamic and engaged membership organisation, the Chamber needed a refreshed brand identity that accurately represented its members and its future-forward vision.
The brand refresh needed to marry African and American visual languages while remaining iconic at a tiny size for digital applications.
The transformation
Finding synergies between two nations
To emphasise North-South collaboration and trade, the colours of both the American flag and the South African flag were used in the brand palette.
Inspired by African fabrics
Drawing from the patterns of Shweshwe and Kente cloth, the brand mark is supported by a vibrant and patterned graphic language that is distinctly African.
Emphasising collaboration
The iconic stripes of the US flag were simplified as five red and white horizontal bars, showing how through the Chamber’s work, different parts organise as one: emphasising the strength of the collective.
The showcase of cleverness
A symbol of the intertwined relationship between North and South, drawing on the design philosophy of Africa as form and the iconic essence of the US as content.
The new identity was unveiled at the American Chamber of Commerce in South Africa’s annual Thanksgiving Dinner.
