2022 marked Accountfully’s ten year anniversary. We’ve always been a modern outsourced accounting firm that is fun and fresh, and our unique branding has always been an accurate reflection of that. To really make that milestone stand out, we decided a brand refresh was in order. Since the launch of this new vibe in conjunction with our updated website, we have been getting a ton of questions about the colors themselves. They stand out, yet support the existing palette very well. For those interested in the behind-the-scenes process of this look, here are the details. Hold on tight marketing and design aficionados, this article is for you!
The core of a brand's feel is in its color palette. We get emotions and feelings based on certain tones and hues. Think of some of the more popular “well known” brands out there and check out what color combos they are using. Some have lots of colors at play, others are less complex. All of them are unmistakable. If this is your thing, a Google search will bring you plenty of color and psychology articles to read.
When establishing a brand palette, typically, the process is to find a base color and add in some accents and neutrals to round out your palette. We’ve always had a more unique base; a super dark green, a mint, teal and a neutral tan. One could assume these colors drew inspiration from those seen on money (we are accountants, after all), but they are all fun, beachy and very Charleston at their core.
So how do you create a more robust palette for an already fun, modern company with their branding game already dialed in? You dig deeper into its uniqueness and draw inspiration from its surroundings. Think of the personalities of the team, how they are so different, but blend so nicely. You also draw from the surroundings of our two office locales. Charleston, for example, is one of the most inspiring cities for an artsy type. Old school charm aside, simply the range of colors of homes and the beach are gold mines of color ideas. Nashville has its own magical blend of nature, art, and music to inspire its visitors too. So that’s exactly what we did. We dug deeper into the in-house inspiration we already had at our fingertips, and picked colors that we see in both Charleston and Nashville.
This color is synonymous with leather bound books, upscale estates, and mahogany wood paneling. It’s actually the antithesis of our vibe, but it works so well, probably because it is ingrained in the classic styles seen in both cities. Think of Charleston. It has been around since the 1600s and has some seriously old school charm that blends flawlessly with the newer city energy.
Pairs nicely with: Teal and Yellow.
Charleston: The deep reddish brown hues strolling through the pine needles nestled in the oaks across old estate grounds.
Nashville: The rich leather in hand crafted boots, a classically finished wooden guitar.
No, we’re not into artichokes per se, but we can’t be a South Carolina based company without some type of homage to the stately Palmetto tree. This color came from that beautiful dusty green you see on the houses and in the palmettos.
Pairs nicely with: Tan and Yellow.
Charleston: The majestic palmetto tree, the green of Spanish moss in the trees.
Nashville: The lichen on the rocks and trees in the more remote areas beyond the city.
Yellow is the quintessential color of fun. We would not be doing our brand personality any justice by not incorporating a yellow of some type. It is sunny, bright and full of life, like Accountfully.
Pairs nicely with: Mint Green and Pink.
Charleston: The tops of the marsh grass of the Lowcounty when the sunlight hits it.
Nashville: The incandescent footlights of the stage and in the old school Marquis signs seen lit up downtown.
We affectionately call this shade of pink Salmon around the office. It’s also a fun color and is in a similar family to our neutral tan/Eggshell color. Green and pink are a classic combo, so it is always a nice compliment to any one of our more green based color options.
Pairs nicely with: Teal and Artichoke .
Charleston: Fresh shrimp and Charleston’s famous pink church (French Huguenot Church) and house colors seen in Rainbow Row.
Nashville: The beautiful brick streets that range from that deep Cordovan, to a lighter pink, not to mention the famous Jack’s BBQ neon sign.
Don’t be fooled by the name of this one, it is more of a grayish green and acts as a cooler neutral color for our palette. To the untrained or less artsy eye, this color is just grey, but it is closely related to our darkest green, aka Rich Black.
Pairs nicely with: Tan and White.
Charleston: The dusty grey of a palmetto trunk, old Navy ships, big grey clouds signaling that afternoon thunderstorm, Oyster shells, and weathered Teak on a boat.
Nashville: The grey skies of a classic rainy fall day, the hazy mist of the Smoky Mountains.
There you have it. Accountfully’s secret sauce behind the 2022 brand refresh. Stay tuned next week, when we get back to our regularly scheduled accounting and business management programming! If you are interested in learning more about the marketing team behind the artsy magic, read more about the department, here.
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