Cutting Edge

Cutting Edge is a second-generation, family-owned company specialising in cardboard packaging and retail displays. Managing Director, Matt Elliott, wanted to refresh their brand to match their full suite of capabilities and help elevate their positioning in line with their growth targets. Their goals were to increase general brand awareness, attract new talent, and create a brand that both current and new customers could be proud to partner with.

Cutting Edge faced three major challenges in their journey to elevate their brand. Firstly, their client mix consisted mainly of specialist retail agencies and trade partners, resulting in work that was highly transactional and heavily dependent on price. This approach kept the end clients at arm’s length, making it difficult for Cutting Edge to establish deeper, more meaningful relationships. Secondly, their website was primarily an online store aimed at smaller online retailers, which did not position them as a trusted partner for larger cardboard display and packaging projects. This misalignment meant they were not fully showcasing their capabilities to potential bigger clients who sought comprehensive and reliable packaging solutions. Lastly, as the business grew, recruiting new staff for their factory in Sydney’s Wetherill Park became increasingly challenging. Despite having a loyal and happy team, they had exhausted personal networks and word-of-mouth referrals. Their job ads on Seek were also not generating sufficient applicants, making it difficult to keep up with the growing demand for their services.

A key finding in our Discovery Phase was the company’s evolution into a one-stop-shop for all things cardboard displays and packaging. Cutting Edge had grown into a full-service provider that was capable of handling everything in-house. This included extremely high customer service standards, with rapid design and prototyping where their sales team would hand-deliver cardboard prototypes to clients.

Our first priority was to focus on their brand strategy, starting with a simplification of their brand name to “Cutting Edge.” We developed the tagline “Display Greatness,” a double entendre of their promise to customers, and a call to arms for their team, encouraging them to be their best selves at work.

We found that in an industry dominated by long-established printers, many competitors' brands were dated and lacked contemporary evolution. This presented a unique opportunity to create a modern, polished visual identity in this space that both appeals to larger brands while retaining Cutting Edge's down-to-earth nature.

For the wordmark, we chose a contemporary sans-serif font with rounded letter shapes and higher x-height, striking a visual balance between polish and approachability. Customised chamfered corners nodded to their traditional craftsmanship, while even letter spacing and versatile lockup combinations ensured a clean and practical design.

Our icon was inspired by a key insight: true creative innovation doesn't end with the cardboard; it starts with the blade. The 4x4 grid that forms the icon references the unique tool organiser present at their workstation. Additionally, the angle of the chamfers on the corners nods to the fold lines of a cardboard display.

Photography and videography played a significant role in realising the brand’s potential. This included employee headshots, photos of the staff on the factory floor, video content showcasing their end-to-end cardboard manufacturing process, as well as in-depth interviews with the leadership team and key staff members to immerse viewers in Cutting Edge’s niche yet incredibly diverse business operations.

The brand rollout required us to design uniforms, brand value posters, signage, and merchandise. To attract new clients, we created a new capability statement, case studies, and rebuilt their entire website with a custom design. We also developed a 2024 catalogue using hero photography to showcase feature projects, and introduce their proprietary Precision Pathway™ delivery model.