Royal Epping Forest Golf Club - Rebrand
Royal Epping Forest Golf Club, founded in 1888 and granted Royal patronage the same year by Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught. There are just 64 golf clubs around the world that have a valid 'Royal' title bestowed by a member of the British Monarchy, 35 of them are in the UK & Ireland. 'National Club Golfer' noted golf memberships in the UK were coming under pressure due to a decline in the number of players. With this in mind, REFGC needed to evolve the existing brand identity. The current logo could not be consistently reproduced, there was no negative version, the crest became illegible at a smaller size and it was never considered for digital use when originally created. The club agreed that over the years it had adopted an 'old approach and feel’. With concerns about declining memberships and wanting to attract a younger, more diversified demographic. It was a bold move for the club to rebrand therefore careful consideration needed to be taken when creating the new crest. The club didn’t want to dilute the heritage but also feel left behind in the changing world that golf clubs are now having to adapt to. At the foundation of the new identity is a minimalist approach but also keeping the club's history and heritage alive. The logo needed to work across all media, including signage, print material, golf balls, scorecards, digital and merchandise. Me, myself and I design made sure the brand was consistent and could communicate in its own right. The heritage run right through the new identity by tipping the hat not only to the crest but also the primary colourway red. It used to be compulsory for all golfers to wear red shirts whilst on the golf course. This was so the golfers could be distinguished from Mrs Jones walking her dog. This rule was scrapped in March 2014. The new logo was presented to a select committee, of 6 members of the club differing in age and gender. Within this, a clear decision was made on which design would be suited. From here a new rebrand strategy was reimagined.
