Full Circle Case

Thornton Group

A seriously “cool” assignment.

Under its old name I.C.T.C., this Antwerp port company spent sixty years growing into an established name in the world of reefer containers. Over the years, more and more activities and services were added: spares, repair, sales & rental, projects and flexitanks. Five fields of expertise, five companies, five stories. And so five logos, five colour schemes and five different images too.

A group of companies in full expansion needed a new identity.

“Bring five fields of expertise together under one strong brand.”

The call

Our brief: a complete rebrand that brings order to a complex group structure.

Because however different the activities were, they shared the same roots, the same clients and the same ambition.

So the challenge wasn't to erase the differences, but to connect them in a way that makes sense. Fearless John to the rescue.

No sacred cows.

The dare

We went back to the essence and took nothing for granted. In strategy workshops we mapped out culture, values, mission and vision in sharp detail.

That exercise laid the foundation for the new identity: one brand with five services, each with a clear role within the same structure.

“One brand, five strengths, endless possibilities.”

The payoff

From the strategy, we built a new visual identity and brand architecture.

The five activities each got their place within Thornton, while the brand story ties everything together. Today Spares, Repair, Sales & Rental, Projects and Flexitanks form one ecosystem.

The identity took shape in a new website and in the design of flags, banners, stadium boards and 3D animations. Social advertising for lead generation became a fixed building block of the communication too.

So the rebrand became more than a new logo. It became a structure that can keep carrying Thornton's growth.