DIGITAL ISLE OF MANBranding the island of digital innovation
Sectors – Technology, Place Branding
Services – Brand strategy, brand story, brand identityTHE BRIEFJoin the island network
Define and amplify the strategic position of the Isle of Man as a thriving hub for digital businesses and promote it as an ideal location for the technology sector to flourish.
The Isle of Man, located in the Irish Sea and surrounded by England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland, has a distinct identity as part of the British Isles with its independent government, laid-back lifestyle, and unique natural biosphere. It has also become a hotspot for digital businesses, attracting global talent. Lantern was tasked with developing a creative identity to enhance the island's strategic position and showcase it as an optimal destination for the technology sector.
THE STRATEGYThe Isle of Open Minds
A new campaign and strategic positioning statement for Digital Isle of Man was needed in order to attract talent and investment. Whilst digital businesses are diverse and varied, they are unified by a mindset of openness. Something that is also shared by the island itself. The Isle of Open Minds positions the Isle of Man as a place of innovation for digital businesses of all shapes and sizes.
The campaign identity is set in the brand’s bespoke typeface showcasing the Isle of Man’s collaborative and supportive digital environment.
SOLUTIONA visual language inspired by open characters
A custom typeface representing technology and collaboration was developed to showcase the Isle of Man's lifestyle and landscape. Each alphabet character represents technology or collaboration, such as the "O" symbolizing a power button and the "I" resembling a loading icon with three dots. This typeface, a digital twist on Visit Isle of Man's rune-inspired typeface, showcases the island's history and mythology.
The campaign portrays the Isle of Man as a vibrant network and community, countering the perception of isolation. It uses witty headlines like "Home to myths, fairies and one day, unicorns" and "Open Minds. Open Space. Open Source." Accompanied by carefully chosen photography, the campaign highlights the island's environment, business opportunities, and lifestyle.
The campaign's success led to the new brand becoming the visual style for Digital Isle of Man.
“Lantern really understood how to uncover and bring to the fore all the unique qualities of the Isle of Man. The design and tone of voice capture the personality of the island and the whole campaign perfectly encapsulates why the Digital Isle of Man is a great place for digital pioneers: the people who would love to work on the Internet of Things in the morning and get on their paddleboards in the evening.”
CHERYL GLEESON
Head of Marketing at Digital Isle of Man
