Ulmer & Berne looked to rebrand their law firm as Ulmer, a seemingly simple change that reflected their forward-looking strategy and evolution. After research and immersion, we encouraged the firm to embrace the upbeat attitude and user-friendly approach that we discovered were central to their reputation. This reputation is reflected in the brand design, which included a contemporary, streamlined logo and a new tagline: “Our business begins with you.”
The new identity was quickly embraced as a bold, positive rebranding that reinforced Ulmer’s culture and innovation. The brand design was recognized in 2019 by Graphis, the international bastion of excellence in design and visual imagery.
The Work
Ulmer & Berne asked N+S to rebrand their law firm as Ulmer, a seemingly simple change that reflected their forward-looking strategy and evolution.
The law firm, which is known as the strongest litigation platform in Ohio and an industry leader throughout the Midwest, had an older, more conservative brand identity when they approached us. After research and immersion, we discovered that this brand was out of touch with not only the firm’s long-term strategic goals, but also their reputation.
The Results
We encouraged them to embrace the upbeat attitude and user-friendly approach that were central to their reputation. We created a contemporary, streamlined logo. The design features a bright blue underline that glides beneath the letter U in Ulmer and emphasizes the firm’s commitment to you—the client.
To further emphasize this, N+S developed the tagline "Our business begins with you" for the firm.
"For a firm that is over 100 years old, our branding project was a major undertaking. We weren’t necessarily looking to change, but we were ready to evolve, and N+S was able to produce a refreshed identity that was truly transformative. The team was absolutely phenomenal to work with. They listened to us, took into consideration our differing—and sometimes competing—opinions, and were able to deliver something the partners, attorneys, and staff were proud of. Their work has helped us to transform into the contemporary firm we are today."
"The tagline particularly is just so perfect for us. It’s truly reflective of our culture. Everything at Ulmer begins and ends with our clients. The tag, with its emphasis on you, just could not have been more perfect."
— Alexis Dankovich, Director of Marketing
When the brand design was initially introduced to the firm, Ulmer’s management team was concerned that transitioning from the firm’s more traditional logotype might create some controversy. The opposite proved to be true as the new identity was quickly embraced as a bold, positive rebranding that reinforced Ulmer’s culture and innovation. The logo design was recognized in 2019 by Graphis, the international bastion of excellence in design and visual imagery.
