REBRANDING & RENAMING HERITAGE
BACKGROUND
Harten Frameworks began in 1974 as Art Graphics in London, offering framed silk-screen prints. Now a family business in Cheshire, it frames prestigious art worldwide.
DISCOVERY
Art Graphics grew steadily for nearly five decades. In 2008, ownership passed from father to son, and the company became a limited entity, adapting to rising demand with new departments. As Frances noted, “We knew we had outgrown our name. Clients thought we sounded like a signage company.” After careful consideration, they decided to change the name to reflect their brand values and the essence of art. The new name needed to be short, professional, timeless, and unique enough for trademark registration – symbolising evolution, not revolution.
DELIVERY
After extensive consideration, we unearthed a new name that ticked all the boxes and generated excitement for the company’s future. Harten, a play on ‘hearten’ or ‘to be heartened,’ reassures customers they’ve come to the best place for bespoke framing. The word itself, much like the frames they create, has ‘art’ in it and, looking to future-proof their messaging, there is an opportunity to introduce a Harten stamp of approval via the line “Our Harten soul into every frame”.
The brand was now aligned with its values and a visual identity was created to drive it toward the premium standard reflected in their frames. Ironically, we all came to the realisation that, in a way, Harten’s service is not about the frame at all, it's about the art that is framed within, and so an accompanying logomark was added to the wordmark to showcase that desire for the final stage of the process – art hanging on a wall – with a negative 'H' that alludes to the role of a Harten frame in that it should be so in sync with the art, you hardly notice it's there.
