LOGO DESIGN (BRAND IDENTITY)

Brand identity is the most important marketing piece for ANY company (of ANY size). So get ready to see over 400 samples of Bret Stout's work:

Bret Stout's Badass Logo Design and Graphic Samples:

<Click here for badassery>

Logo design, also known as "brand identity" is one of the most important components of any business, organization, or product. It is the foundation of all successful marketing and advertising efforts. Bret Stout has deep experience in logo design / brand identity. He first identifies your specific target audience and then develops strategy that will connect them to your brand. Bottomline is you must have "brand engagement" from your target audience - and you can fail to have their attention if your logo design / brand identity is weak. You see, your target audience expects an equal brand experience for small to mid-sized businesses as they do for big brands. And a poorly designed logo can kill your business because of this expectation/judgement of your target audience.



Bret has created ALL of the below logos for small and mid-size businesses and organizations - just like YOURS. Some were even start-ups when they were referred to Bret Stout - and he assisted them in brand and launch strategy.

Here are 112 logo designs / brand identities Bret Stout has created – including many for Fort Worth businesses – just like yours. What is amazing is what the RIGHT brand identity can do for your business –  many of these businesses are now multimillion dollar companies.



Many of the above clients are based right here in Fort Worth, Texas.

Additional DFW clients include Dallas, Arlington, Grapevine, Colleyville, Irving, Burleson, Coppell, Denton, Allen, McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Rockwall, and Gun Barrel City. Some started out in Fort Worth and expanded to other cities throughout Texas and beyond.

Outside of the DFW area, clients include Houston, Austin, Galveston, Brownwood – and others from around the country – in the midwest in Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri – and from as far north as Chicago, Illinois – as far east as Washington, D.C., New York, New York, and Alexandria, Virgina – and as far west as Los Angeles, and San Diego, California – and as far north as Canada and Alaska – and as far south as Galveston, Texas. One is an Australian company - and many of the above clients are based here – but operate their business operation globally.

No matter where your company is based – in the DFW area – around the state – across the country – or across the globe, you have found the right source for logo design Fort Worth.

Brand Identity (logo design) is the very first component and where success begins for nearly all of these businesses and organizations. It defines who you are and how you want your target audience to view you as a real brand.

But the most significant thing you will notice while viewing the above logos is the fact that Bret Stout does not take a one-size-fits-all approach to creating a logo design / brand identity. The business or organization, combined with the identified target audience, guides his strategic and creative approach to the design. Whether that means creating vector logos (no fonts) or hand illustrating the logo or its icon, Bret will take the same highly-unique branding approach to YOUR Fort Worth business or organization.

CASE STUDIES – CREATING A BRAND

There is a lot that goes into creating the RIGHT brand identity for your company. Here are a few case studies of how Bret Stout transformed a 'logo' into a REAL brand:

Sharchs Exterior Aluminum Sun Control

Sharch's is a Fort Worth company who manufacturers and sells architectural aluminum sunshades for commercial properties. They came to Bret to help with a new HTML5 website design and SEO. But the first thing Bret noticed was their current logo. It was confusing because it seemed to be pronounced "shar-chezes" – when the intention was to be pronounced "sharks". The original idea was very clever being an acronym for "Shade Solutions for Architects". Bret asked if customers pronounce it correctly – the answer was a frustrating "No". Bret immediately went to work hand-illustrating some possible solutions.



It was a major upgrade that tipped the scale from a poor logo (based on a great idea) to REAL brand identity. Now all customers and prospective customers pronounce it as intended by the client, as "Sharks".

The following three (3) different logo designs all ended up being used by the client and changed their brand forever.

The shark theme was then played out in a visually dynamic presentation on their new multipage HTML5 website designed + built by Bret Stout. Bret even created icons for each product which were already tied together by product names and design:



Now EVERYTHING came together in the most dynamic way. Sharchs.com




Promaxima Strength & Conditioning Equipment

This next case study shows the transformational impact Bret Stout had on a 45-year-old fitness equipment manufacturer based in Houston, Texas. The company had first started as "American Athletics" with following logo + logo icon:



While the company changed their name decades before, Bret noticed the previous icon was being cut through on the metal of Promaxima's equipment. Asking the staff welders, they had no idea what the icon stood for. Bret would soon change all of that.

Bret Stout has a unique ability to take existing fragmented components and pulling them all together into a logical brand strategy – making it appear as though everything was strategically intentional from the very beginning.

A great example of this is when HP came to Bret and his team to create a product launch video for HP and Dreamworks for the new Z Workstation. The first question Bret asked was, "Why did you call it the Z?" The client's response was they called it the 'Z' because it "Sounded cool". Bret, as a writer, created the right storytelling to give the 'Z' name a reason (click here or on screen below to see video):



Bret often gets the 'AHA!" response from his clients AND their staff. The consumer (target audience) assumes it was intended strategy from the very beginning.

Now back to Promaxima...

Bret first started with the company's main logo – "Pro Maxima". What did the name mean? No one in the company seemed to know. 'Pro' means professional – but 'Maxima' like a car? Why was it separated into two words? Besides the unknown meaning, the design execution itself was majorly flawed – very difficult to read and the rear icon (the multi-colored infinity symbol) was even more problematic. Bret decided to allow the name to take on a whole new meaning. Okay, we know what 'Pro' means. We know what 'Max' means, but does 'IMA' mean anything? What if we created an ad campaign that showed the various target audience segments with the statement "IMA PRO MAX CHAMPION", "IMA PRO MAX WARRIOR", etc. Now let's separate the three parts in a logo execution with color. NOW it all makes sense:



What Bret did was create a REAL BRAND. A brand that makes sense. A brand with real campaign legs. A brand that makes it appear the company knew exactly what they were doing from the very beginning.







And remember that old company A+Star icon? Bret gave it a brand new meaning "American Made". No equipment had to be changed. Everything now made sense – to company staff AND their customers.

Now they had a REAL brand – that seemed intended from the very beginning:



Easy-to-Open – New Product Category

The next case study comes with a company startup with a product that allows the consumer to open a stuck lid. Great product, but very confusing name with "EtahETO". Still not sure what the "Etah" stood for – but the ETO stood for Easy-to-Open. AndBret decided that should be the name:



And as the new brand identity was created by Bret Stout and approved by the client, it was on to the website design + build to focus on the target audience value propositions:



Bret also allowed for the logo to be executed in a number of colors specific to the target audience and Bret Stout created all marketing collateral AND packaging design for the product:



DFW Devil Dogs

The DFW Devil Dogs is a group of "Marines Supporting Marines" in their time of need – truly a band of brothers. When Bret Stout created REAL brand identity for DFW Devil Dogs, they had less than 250 members. Now they have over 1,450 members – a substantial jump in a relatively short period of time.



This is a great example of how things can dramatically change when you have a real logo – a real brand. It gives members and prospective members something very tangible to engage and connect with. Bret created a number of marketing assets to be used in various marketing collateral. He started with the new brand identity AND it's new Marine Bulldog icon:



Bret first hand-illustrated the above icon – and then redrew the entire illustration in vectors – for use as bumper stickers, decals, banners, t-shirts, and more. DFW Devil Dogs now had something to market and sell to raise money for their 501(c)3, non-profit organization. DFW Devil Dog members now had a tangible asset to self-identify on their vehicles, cups, and shirts:





In the above banner you see the image of Chesty Puller (the most famous US Marine) – and Bret drew this in vectors in Adobe Illustrator so it could be blown up to any size without loss of resolution.



From there Bret Stout was asked to create brand identity for state-wide and national Marine Corps support groups:



The first four case studies were specific to a client who already had an existing logo – and Bret Stout turned their average-to-poor logo into something great. He turned it into a real brand. Think about it – when you see a website, a product, or even a brick and mortar storefront that has a text-only name (no real brand identity) or a crappy logo, you tend to dismiss that website, product, or store. It looks like a scam - or a fly-by-night operation, or a poorly-funded or poorly-managed business.

THAT is the difference between a logo and real brand identity. It changes everything. It changes the game. It engages your intended audience. It creates traffic and conversion. Business grows substantially.

LET'S NOW WORK ON YOUR FORT WORTH BRAND

Whether you know exactly what you need, Bret can deliver it. If you're not sure exactly where to start, Bret will guide you through the components – and YOU choose the services that you want. If you want to grow your business but you're not sure what you really need, Bret will evaluate your current collateral, take a look at your competition, and identitfy areas of opportunity. He is more than happy to take you through the entire process:

Competitive Analysis:
We must identify exactly who your target audience is and their current or ongoing need for your product.

Brand or Product Strategy:
Here we identify how we want to re-launch our company (or) how we want to launch our new product.

Product Naming and Brand Identity:
With our target audience needs identified and our brand/product strategy in place, now we dive into product naming and logo design.

Website Design:
This is more than just a website design – it is more about creating an online 'brand experience'.

Website Development:
Once you have signed off on the website design, this is where we actually build your new website.

Search Engine Optimization:
SEO is two (2) distinct parts – 1) SEO Strategy, and 2) SEO implementation. Strategy is where we identify our core key phrases that our target audience types into a Google search to find a company, service, or product. Implementation is the actual hard-coding of the new website to communicate directly with Google to bring you to the top of Google Search.

Conversion Metrics and ROI:
This is where we identify new traffic to your website and conversion rates. From this information we can identify your Return on Investment (ROI) with real data and analytics

It's all about the RIGHT experience – PROVEN experience to deliver beyond your expectations. You now have the right person right here in Fort Worth. Someone with proven big brand ad agency experience, government contract experience, and a full (and proven) set of skill sets. After two decades of successgully applying his skills to big brands and government, Bret Stout now focuses his skills on helping small to mid-size businesses right here in Fort Worth.

So imagine being able to get the highest level of branding and web design applied to YOUR business BUT at a fraction of the cost. That is where Bret Stout comes in. He looks at EVERY business, no matter how small, as an opportunity to do GREAT things. Now imagine this high design level applied to YOUR business:



Above are website designs taking the high level design experience and applying to smaller and mid-sized businesses. The above includes clients Carousel Pediatrics, Boyle Energy, Xchangecash, Allie Beth Allman & Associates, Sharchs, Meridian Propane, Leighelena, Autism Spectrum Therapies, SimplySmarter Easy-to-Open, 2020 Eye Associates, Jani King of Austin, and Promaxima Fitness Equipment. As you can see, there is absolutely no reason to settle for less. You get the same high quality of the best ad agency creatives but at a fraction of the cost. Instead of paying $50k to $500K for a website with an ad agency, you pay an average of $5k to $25k (depending on the size and scope of your desired website).

WEBSITE DESIGN + WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT:

In the online space, Bret Stout designs AND builds websites in CSS that are fully optimized for mobile devices (smart phones and tablets), and was one of the very first web developers to build out a multi-page HTML5 Parallax scrolling website (HTML5 is traditionally a one-page website platform). The purpose for doing this is to increase content depth and content relevancy for Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION:



Bret Stout has led entire teams in SEO strategy and implementation – and stays current with Google Algorithm periodic changes. He has developed his own set of SEO strategy that has proven to be so effective that he has offered it as performance-based. He has never failed to get his clients to the very top of Google search.

UNIQUE SKILL SETS AND PLATFORMS:



Bret Stout started his advertising agency career as a storyboard illustrator, and soon moved into a copywriter position – and all the way to senior copywriter. Then he had the opportunity for a senior art director role. Serving as an illustrator, designer, copywriter AND art director is a very unusual career path in the agency world. From there he served in roles as Creative Director, Creative Director of Business Development, and ECD-level Creative Director. Bret has not only has led teams in a wide-range of disciplines, he executes, as well. And he has done so on nearly every platform, including television, radio, print, online (computers, tablets, smart phones), and a wide range of interactive kiosks. THAT is the experience you get from a whole team – but without paying ad agency premiums.

ILLUSTRATION AND BRAND IDENTITY:



Bret Stout is an illustrator – can illustrate by hand (hand-drawn) and create very complex vector artwork in Adobe Illustrator. These illustration skills allow him to concept great logos and product names and the ability to actually create them. Here are just a few examples of his brand identity work:



Brand identity is crucial in product and campaign launch – it can be the difference in successa or failure for your business. A logo redesign of your business can make a world of difference in brand awareness, business growth, and revenue. It can also change the way your potential customers 'see' or 'say' your company name. For example, a Fort Worth company who manufactures architectural sunshades (commercial aluminum awnings) was very clever in naming their company with "SHARCHS"" (SHAde solutions for ARCHitectS). Problem was that existing and potential customers would mispronounce the name. They did not know it was intended to be pronounced "Sharks". That is when the solution was presented to show the name as the shape of a shark (see above). Problem solved.

USER INTERFACE STRATEGY + DESIGN:



Bret Stout has led the strategy and creative on the User Interface (UI) for mobile devices (smart phones), touch enabled devices (computers and tablets), self-service kiosk UI, and software UI. He was part of the UI strategy team for American Airline's boarding pass kiosk (first-ever), part of the UI strategy team for HP's Touchsmart computer screen (pre-tablets), and part of the UI strategy team for the HP Slate (pre-iPad) – and even named the product. He has led the strategy and creative on the User Interface (UI) for mobile devices (smart phones), touch enabled devices (computers and tablets), self-service kiosk UI, and software UI. He was part of the UI strategy team for American Airline's boarding pass kiosk (first-ever), part of the UI strategy team for HP's Touchsmart computer screen (pre-tablets), and part of the UI strategy team for the HP Slate (pre-iPad) – and even named the product.



He has led the strategy and creative for Palm and Blackberry (smart phones) and led the UI strategy and creative for a money transfer ewallet app that was the last to be approved by Apple. He was part of the UI strategy and creative team for the VA's web-based healthcare platform, and the Navy's LCS Warship's billeting system. He concepted and designed the next-generation booking engine for Norwegian Cruise Lines, concepted the idea to order pizza online (first-ever), and concepted the idea to allow consumers to get a quick insurance quote (first-ever).

LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE OF THE BRAIN:



YOU get someone who knows how to grow your business and YOU decide what services you need. Bret Stout has proven experience in all forms of business AND marketing strategy, including business strategy, brand strategy, creative strategy, product launch strategy. He creates brand identity (logo creation) and brand messaging. He has produced traditional marketing including, television spots, product launch videos, packaging design, brochures, retail displays, print ads, billboards, bus wraps, and more. He can create custom graphics and visually dynamic photo-composites. He is also an award-winning writer and can create campaign headlines, complete storytelling, scripts, and marketing copy.

GOVERNMENT BRAND AND UI STRATEGY EXPERIENCE:



Bret Stout has performed brand strategy and user interface design for the Veterans Administration's Health Informatics Initiative, the next generation, web-based, population-driven health care platform, and branding and marketing for the VA's Office of Patient-Centered Care, collaborated on iEHR strategy with the Department of Defense, and led the UI strategy for the billeting system for the U.S. Navy's LCS Warship Fleet. He also created branding for local and national United States Marine Corps Veterans groups.

Yes, consumer brands and government organizations seem disconnected – but it is amazing the results you get when you apply consumer brand experience to a government product. It's all about the right branding and thinking differently. It's about taking ANY company or product and doing exciting work.

MILITARY EXPERIENCE:



Bret Stout is also a Combat-Decorated U.S. Marine with eight (8) ribbons (5 medals). Bret joined the Marine Corps Reserve in an effort to get target audience information for a military campaign he was assigned. He completed his U.S. Marine Corps Boot Camp training at MCRD San Diego, served as a Platoon Squad Leader and graduated meritoriously-ranked with Honors. He served with 4th Marine Maintenance Battalion, Headquarters Battery 14th Marines, and served in combat with 5th Battalion, 10th Marines, 2nd Marine Division – leading a howitzer squad against Suddam Hussein and his Iraqi Republican Guard. Since the war, his military experience has been highly valuable to VA, DoD, Navy, and as a board member of VA's Veteran Experience Committee.

PROFESSIONALISM AND INTEGRITY:

Note: You might be thinking, "What does the military and branding have to do with each other?" – of course it applies when you're doing branding and campaign work for the government/military because you understand the target audience demographics – but the main reason the military experience is included is to show that Bret Stout has a high level of honor, professionalism, and integrity.


Bret Stout is ready to help YOU take YOUR BUSINESS to the next level.