Metro 18
Metro 18 specializes in the design and deployment of smart home technology systems for high-end, luxury homes. They came to us at an exciting moment in their growth and success. With a brand new office in San Francisco, and a deep portfolio of work with California’s top architects and builders, Metro 18 needed a new brand and website to communicate their unparalleled professionalism, ingenuity, and customer service.
Branding, Content Strategy, Design, Development, Digital, UX.
The brand
Our work with Metro 18 began with an exploration of their fundamental branding concepts, and culminated in a new comprehensive visual identity that includes logo, collateral materials, website, and online marketing campaign. The new brand successfully reflects Metro 18 as the preeminent smart home integration provider in California.
The logo reimagines the three horizontal lines, which were present in the E and in the 8 of their name. The minimal symbol evokes both the server racks that power their systems, and the icon of a menu interface that provides control of the home.
The color palette draws from the natural tones of organic materials like wood, concrete, and steel, which are often used to hide the technology Metro 18 uses in smart homes.
A new voice with something to say
Our background research into competitors showed an industry penchant for technical specifications and lists of complicated features. While this is essential information, we felt it was a poor way to start a conversation, and certainly missed the forest for the trees.
We worked with Metro 18 to identify the core brand values, the aspirations that they fulfill for their clients, and transformed these concepts into concrete messaging objectives. We brought in the extraordinary writer Rebecca Goodberg to craft a voice that speaks clearly to the sophisticated audience, and reflects the clever, creative problem solving that Metro 18 brings to each project. Client testimonials add an additional narrative voice to every part of the website, and establish an authenticity to the messaging.
Revealing the invisible
The website presented us with an interesting conundrum: how do you show the invisible? With so much of Metro 18’s work hiding behind the walls and moving wirelessly through the air, the imagery could not be derived from product shots alone.
We instead created a visual strategy that focuses on the lifestyle of natural ease and luxury that Metro 18 provides for their clients, and the role they play as the consummate partners for high-end architects and builders.
We commissioned the immensely talented photographer Greg Habiby, and provided creative direction. The photography is evocative of the Metro 18 lifestyle, while it tells the story of Metro 18’s dedicated team in the highly collaborative style in which they work.
“The process of working with Loyal was almost more valuable than the final product. The working dynamic and relationship helped us understand our needs and ultimately arrive at a destination well beyond what we initially set out to develop. The result of deeply pondering, investigating, and considering all the possibilities ultimately was pivotal in our branding and our positioning to our public. Our new brand and website finally reflect our own level of professionalism, the values that drive us, and what we truly offer our clients. This has had a huge impact when we reach out to new business targets, and has facilitated referrals to new business opportunities. And most importantly, our new brand has allowed our own team to see ourselves and our work in a fresh, new, and inspiring light.”
Jay Bakaler, President
Metro 18