Norwich Castle

Simply iconic.

Norwich Castle is an iconic historical landmark – proudly dominating the city’s skyline. The original groundworks and initial structure was established on the order of William the Conqueror in 1067. Over the following (almost) 1,000 years it has been a fortification, a royal palace, a prison and, more recently, a museum and art gallery.

Today, the castle is mid-way through a £13m revamp which will include a new medieval gallery designed in partnership with the British Museum, along with improved visitor facilities such as cafe, restaurant and retail offering, and new digital and learning spaces. This new branding will coincide with the 2024 reopening of the refurbished Keep and new visitor spaces.

The inspiration

The physical form of the Norman Keep resembles a cube and, as such, is instantly recognisable as well as being memorable.

To prove this point, we challenged members of the public to draw a picture of the castle purely from memory. We armed them with a pen and post-it note, giving them just ten seconds to complete the task. The results were hugely informative and in turn very much guided our thinking and creative execution.

The idea

We crafted an uncompromisingly simple mark – unmistakably portraying Norwich Castle. In isolation, the core brand logo is understated and intentionally unembellished.

We removed everything from the previous brand logo that wasn’t needed – distilling the visual representation of the castle to its simplest and most iconic form.

The geometry of the core brand logo directly informs a unique (nine column) grid system – referencing the number of merlons on each aspect of the castle.

The entire design system is modular and largely formed by squares which in turn provides a simple, easy-to-use and coherent format for wider templates and applications.

The crenelation device from the top of the brand logo is used as a graphic divider in a variety of communications including signage, campaigns and digital applications.

Given the simplicity of the principal brand logo, it provides endless opportunity for striking merchandise and bold production techniques.

The Click have not only developed a fantastic brand for Norwich Castle; they have worked with colleagues across the organisation to find creative and practical ways that we can apply it across a complex mix of platforms, from digital channels to bricks and mortar.

Lis Ivany, Marketing Manager, Norfolk Museums Service

This new branding much better supports Norwich Castle’s ever-evolving digital offering – from their website, interactive exhibitions, social media and beyond.

The Click brought creativity and professionalism to our brand project and, above all else, they brought passion. Their commitment and engagement has resulted in a brand we feel is resonant, elegant and flexible and which will serve us well into the future.

Esther Morgan, Communications Manager, Norfolk Museums Service