Project Spotlight: Kitsap Bank Rebrand

 Company Overview:

kitsap-bank-logoKitsap Bank
619 Bay St.
Port Orchard, WA 98366
www.kitsapbank.com

Project Overview:

Our relationship with Kitsap Bank dates back a number of years as we have worked with them on signage for many of their branches throughout Western Washington. We’ve had a lot of fun times together and when we heard that they were looking into an extensive rebrand project to celebrate their 110th anniversary, we knew we had to do whatever we could to be a part of it.

 The details for the signage portion of the project were as follows:

Kitsap Bank is currently undertaking a rebranding effort, and the redesign and implementation of new signage is an important component of this overall project. The endeavor involves the replacement of all existing exterior signs, directional signs, ATM/ITS signs, surrounds or toppers, and vinyl window graphics at Kitsap Bank’s 19 branches, as well as one lighted interior sign in the Bellevue Commercial Banking Center. The new signs will be part of Kitsap Bank’s brand rollout which will launch on the bank’s 110th Anniversary—August 8, 2018.

Given the scale of the project, Kitsap Bank opened the opportunity up with an RFP to establish who would be the best signage company to partner with. Our team worked diligently to showcase why we would make the best fit and thankfully the Kitsap team felt we would as well! 

Challenges:

More often than not, rebranding projects require a certain level of discretion, especially when it comes to the signage. When a business decides to do a rebrand they typically want to unveil the new look on their terms rather than through third party grape vine contributors. Kitsap Bank was no different and stressed the importance of keeping the new look under wraps at all times and to come up with a plan on how we can swap out the old with the new in an efficient and discrete manor.

Not only would we likely have to handle the removal and install during one swift after hours shift but also make sure the new signage was covered up and not prematurally unveiled to local patrons. The first branch on the docket would be Port Orchard, their corporate headquarters, for a weekend company party on Saturday, August 4th. The Thursday night before, our team made its way to Port Orchard after the bank closed to start removing the old signage and under the cover of night, install the brand new signage with the rebranded look showcased that even a majority of Kitsap Bank employees hadn’t seen yet.

We’re used to night time installs, but it was an added obstacle to make sure the new signs remained wrapped in plastic while traveling with them from our shop in Tacoma as well as during the installation process in order to ensure no one caught any sneak peaks.

Since the rebrand corresponded with their 110th anniversary, our schedule was already predetermined. We had to make sure the priority branches were addressed prior to the anniversary and that a plan was in place to unroll the other branches as quickly as possible so that there wouldn’t be any branding discrepancies amongst the branches. After all, this wasn’t just a small change to their logo, they were completely moving away from their red and black color scheme to blue and yellow.

When working on a project of this scale, with multiple locations in multiple towns spread across multiple counties, it’s safe to assume that the permitting process for the signage is going to pose some setbacks in one way or another. We weren’t concerned with aligning the sign plans to each towns specifications but rather the turnaround time of receiving the requisite permits in time for each project. Some adjustments had to be made to the schedule for some branches but we were able to keep the course with those involved with the initial unveiling for the 110th anniversary. 

Keys to Success:

Familiarity:

We have worked with Kitsap Bank for a number of years so our team and their team were very familiar with one another. This level of familiarity allows you to streamline processes in the early stages of the project, which is always helpful when working on a project of this size with the quick turnaround that’s needed.

Considering we have worked on the signage for some of Kitsap Bank’s branches, our ability to reach back into the archives to pull out old sign design specs made it easier to anticipate the conditions and landscape for each sign installed. On projects like this, you don’t always have this convenience but given our experience working together we were lucky enough to have that luxury here.

Teamwork:

When scheduling out installs at roughly 20 different locations throughout Western Washington, you’re crew will need to be broken up and distributed across multiple locations on the same day while also being on same page to make sure everything ties in together across all branches. Luckily we have one of the largest and experienced sign install crews in Washington, so our team was up to the challenge!

The teamwork wasn’t just required internally either. Our crews worked hand in hand with the Kitsap Bank team to coordinate each install and their willingness to lend a hand and be there to support the installs was a major contributor to the projects success.

Efficiency:

When working on a project with a lot of moving parts throughout multiple locations and a strict timetable that has little to no flexibility considering it corresponds with an event, having an efficient team is an absolute must. This was mostly the case for the Port Orchard branch given that it was the first branch to be unveiled and it needed to be finished for their internal company unveiling party. But the catch was, that since it was a rebrand this couldn’t be broken up into a couple days, but rather one day of blitzing all of their signage throughout the evening and night.

For the most part, the signage at the Port Orchard location would be quick and easy to remove and replace but then there was the large monument sign located in close proximity to power lines. Our crew had to finesse their way through a lot of steel framing to free up the casing and work their magic to remove it safely. After that they once again had to play a little game of operation to get the new casing and signage up without compromising the safety of the team with the power lines close by. This all had to be completed with the utmost caution but also in a timely manner in order to complete it by the time doors opened in the morning. There was no room for error or setbacks and our team was able to handle it wonderfully!

Install Pictures:

Port Orchard

 kitsap-port-orchard
Bainbridge
bainbridge-entry
Silverdale
silverdale-kitsap
Fife
fife-entry
fife-clock

Final Result:

The project was originally scoped for 19 branches but it was bumped up to 24 as we started diving into the project. To date, we have completed 9 branches, 8 are currently in production and 7 are still in permits (see Challenges section above…). That being said we were able to finish everything in time for their internal unveiling party at Port Orchard as well as their public unveiling at their 110th anniversary party on August 8th. It’s been an amazing project to be a part of and we are so proud to drive around Western Washington and see the clean and professional new look of Kitsap Bank’s brand shining bright through their signage!

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