Weld

Drawing from a heritage of adventure and exploration, an atmostphere of casual competence, and a wellspring of drive and desire, Weld is an insatiable, intelligent collective of creative professionals. With a unique cache of talent in print and web, video and rich media, marketing and advertising, Weld bridges disciplines, materials, processes and principles to deliver message that connect.  

Formerly a video production firm, the partners at Weld came to Ocupop to usher in a new era with their firm.  Adding talent and capability while looking to expand beyond video capture and  production, Weld faced a very tricky upslope. Ocupop provided the initial leg up in the form of naming, identity design and brand strategy…

Disciplines: Brand Strategy, Naming, Identity, Interiors & Environments, Creative Knick-Knackery

Weld

As any resident of Fayetteville, WV (Weld's home) will tell you, the icon included in all of these concepts is an abstraction of the New River Gorge Bridge. To locals and outsiders alike, this shape is incredibly communicative and remarkably harmonious with the principles and initiatives put forth in the design brief. A number of unique characteristics of the New River Gorge Bridge lend a depth of meaning and relevance to this concept. This specific bridge is built of Cor-Ten steel, a material that requires no artificial treatment to weather the elements, a material that organically adapts over time to its environment, and a material that is incredibly strong, consistent, and durable. The bridge is an icon representative of the region, it is a source of local pride, and a landmark of a new era, having transformed the region when it was built - compressing a 45 minute crawl along treacherous mountain roads into a 45 second cruise. To the uninitiated, the form in these concepts is obviously a steel arch bridge, an architectural icon of stability, conveyance, and commerce. An elegant solution to a complex problem - a steel arch bridge is a model of convergence, an uncommon synthesis of disciplines, materials, processes, and principles...in a word, Weld. The truss work of the bridge icon has been created by repetition of the letterform W. This subtle cue speaks to the holistic integration of Weld's aptitudes throughout operations...the creative consciousness and integrity pervasive at Weld can be viewed as an intellectual and emotional framework off of which all successful initiatives are built. The lower arch of the bridge is an 'arc.' This form is reminiscent of the arc of electricity integral to every welding process. Symbolic of the creative spark, the catalytic energy, the connection or cross-pollination of media, knowledge, and services at Weld. Most of the concepts shown include some sort of wave at the base of the design. These forms call to mind images of rivers, ocean waves, and, in some cases, drifts of snow. Speaking more to who Weld is than to what Weld does, these are important subtleties that communicate important core brand values. There are five uprights in the bridge icon, these uprights support the company name Weld. The center upright is the Brand; the brand is flanked by the vital supports of Strategy, Identity, Integration, and Interaction. As the Weld brand travels across the top of the structure, forces flow at different points through one or many of these supports and are continually funneled back through the truss work below...through the creative consciousness, the integrity, the core brand values that define the company that is Weld. Once the Weld identity was established, the first opportunity to show it off was at the Adventure Travel World Summit in Whistler, BC. OCUPOP designed and managed construction of custom booth furniture. A model of sustainability, the Weld booth was made entirely of locally-sourced, salvaged materials - by local craftsmen. The class of the show, this OCUPOP-designed piece told a story so compelling that ATWS organizers have vowed to establish a 'best booth' award for coming years! Business cards and note cards for the Weld crew. Laminated construction tells the Weld brand story - even their collateral is an excercise in expert adhesion! Business cards and note cards for the Weld crew...In this shot you can see the middle layer of the laminate was a delicious French Paper in Creamsicle Orange. Michael watches wistfully as Weld forges ahead on their own in the wilderness of the very fickle corporate brandscape. ;)