Role: Design Director, TBWAChiatDay

A rebrand isn't successful until everyone believes in it.

When Uncle Ben's underwent a major brand transformation, the challenge wasn't simply introducing a new direction. It was helping hundreds of employees understand the thinking behind the brand and inspiring them to become ambassadors for its future.

Rather than creating another corporate brand standards manual, the team looked for a more memorable way to tell the story.

Working alongside a longtime freelance writer who had collaborated with TBWAChiatDay for many years, we developed a brand book written in the voice of Uncle Ben himself, packaged inside a custom-designed rice box. Instead of cooking instructions, employees discovered a guide to building a successful brand, explaining not only what had changed, but why it mattered.

As an unexpected surprise, the book also contained a second book within it titled The Zen of Ben—a collection of aphorisms and words of wisdom written in Uncle Ben's voice. More than a brand standards guide, it became an experience that reflected the personality, character, and values behind the brand.

Designed by a member of Erik's design team under his creative direction, the book became an instant success throughout the organization. Demand was so strong that a second printing was required, an uncommon outcome for an internal brand book and a testament to how enthusiastically it was embraced by employees.

The project reinforced an important belief:

People don't support a brand because they're told to.

They support it because they understand the story behind it.

Behind the Work

Some of the most memorable moments in a project happen long before anyone sees the finished work.

During production, Erik and a member of his design team traveled to Texas to oversee press checks for the brand book. Mechanical issues repeatedly brought the presses to a halt as printing plates kept breaking and the spot varnish required continual adjustments to achieve the intended finish. The team remained on press for nearly twenty-four hours straight, working side by side with the printer until every detail met the expected standard.

Great design doesn't end when the files are delivered.

Sometimes it means staying until the last sheet comes off the press.