Smart and Biggar: Advertising

As part of our overall rebrand of Smart & Biggar, Cubicle Fugitive developed a new brand and advertising campaign for the firm.

With an unparalleled reputation globally as Canada’s IP law firm, the firm wanted to increase the awareness of their brand within their native country. Having just undergone a fresh of their brand, including simplifying their name from Smart & Biggar / Fetherstonhaugh to Smart & Biggar, it was perfect timing to remind Canadian inventors, entrepreneurs, and professionals that they are the leading firm in IP.

Cubicle Fugitive worked in partnership with the marketing team at Smart & Biggar to develop a brand and advertising campaign that built upon the firm’s strong international brand reputation and reaffirmed their leadership position in the minds of primary and legacy audiences while building profile and awareness amongst entrepreneurs and business leaders in Canada. Design and messaging were created with the intent to be more client-focused and appeal to both traditional international clients and emerging domestic audiences.

With an extremely unique, memorable, and apt firm name, the campaign wrote itself. While at first resistant to capitalizing on the wordplay of their founding partner’s names, with the right client-focused concept, we were able to leverage these to build name recognition across Canada. The words “Smart” and “Biggar” evoke a sense of expertise and influence. And, there was no better way to articulate the firm’s strength and leadership than by coupling the names “Smart” and “Biggar” with a series of impactful and descriptive client and employee value-based “B” words (Bolder, Better, Boundless, and Brighter), to create a brand campaign that is both effective and meaningful.

Cubicle Fugitive and Smart & Biggar collaboratively pushed the boundaries of legal brands and advertising to develop something that is as visually appealing as it is impactful and memorable.

Each headline pairs its name “Smart. Biggar.” with a client-centered adjective that highlights how the headline relates both to the client and the firm, e.g. “Smart. Biggar. Boundless.”, where “Boundless” refers to their client’s innovation and strategic IP portfolios.

Cubicle Fugitive implemented an entirely new brand system for the firm that included updated fonts, colours, logos, copy, and the inclusion of the red dot which represents an idea, specifically the visualization of “the idea”. Ideas start as a spark, a glimmer of potential fueled by passion, funding, and years of research and development. At Smart & Biggar, the firm’s professionals help everyone from innovators to global corporations build something of lasting value through intellectual property. They are the firm that will take that glimmer of an idea, help clients find value and leverage through IP strategies.

In each piece of brand collateral, the red dot is a focal point. It is a punctuation mark, a full-stop that emphasizes and reinforces their bold words.

Campaign visuals feature a vibrant and impactful colour palette with visuals inspired by the firm’s client technologies, alongside key messages articulating how Smart & Biggar’s award-winning IP team helps the most successful companies in Canada and around the world. As part of the campaign, we also worked with Smart & Biggar’s marketing team to create a new tagline reflecting the brand’s leading position “The smart choice for IP protection, enforcement and strategy.”

Cubicle Fugitive and Smart & Biggar collaboratively pushed the boundaries of legal brands and advertising to develop something that is as visually appealing as it is impactful and memorable. With the client at the heart of the firm’s success, we celebrated the value of intellectual property in helping real businesses safeguard creativity, exploit innovations, and dominate in their markets. The campaign is clever, unique, highlight’s the firm’s core value propositions (both to internal and external stakeholders), and ensures that everyone will remember the name “Smart & Biggar.”