Double Eleven aren't run like many other games company. With a vision to create a legacy for the next generation, our challenge was to reposition this talented team of publishers and developers as a new breed of company that, in the future, will be talked about as the ones who valued their people and changed the world of gaming for the better. They clearly don't do "ordinary" and it's their game-changing approach to putting their staff first that's won them recognition, virtually every year since 2017, as one of the 'Best Places to Work' in the UK by GamesIndustry.biz
They believe now is the dawn of a new era for the industry and they want to be at the forefront of it, leading the way through its evolution. With the acquisition of VooFoo Studios in 2019 and the opening of a new studio in Malaysia in 2020, their gaming family has quickly grown to 300+ in a very short space of time. The brand hadn't grown with them though. A new identity was needed to reflect Double Eleven's hunger for putting their staff first and the success they'd enjoyed from projects such as Rust, Minecraft Dungeons, Fallout 76, Prison Architect and a host of, as yet, unannounced titles.
"Working with Double Eleven has been an absolute dream for us, and continues to be so. Their desire to do the right thing and deliver a great product mirrors our own ethics and it's brilliant to see the company go from strength to strength. They're one of Teesside's flagship, success stories and we couldn't be prouder to work alongside them."
Lisa Holt - Managing Director, The Creative Alchemist
Through workshops and research we really delved into what was at the heart of Double Eleven. They're constantly re-thinking, re-imagining and remastering titles into even better experiences for their players. Their rich creativity and technical expertise allows them to evolve games by creating new content, better interfaces, stronger visuals and crisper sounds, but it's the way they take care of their staff that really sets them apart. They're evolving the whole gaming industry by 'putting people over profit', actively encouraging staff to seek out a healthy work-life balance, rewarding progress and proactively investing in skills development.
Double Eleven do things their own way. They are a new civilisation. They speak their own language, create their own culture and devise their own practices so they needed an identity to match this. Their colour palette is inspired from the rich purples and fiery oranges of lava forming new land whilst the hand-drawn symbols are inspired by neolithic cave paintings to create a dynamic, edgy and unique identity. The blue glow in the staff photography represents the idea of the sun rising on a "new dawn" of gaming but also mimics the glow you would see on someone's face if they were sat at a console immersed in gaming.
"The Double Eleven brand is completely unique. Although they're a technically-focussed company, that's not the focus of their story; they're evolving how games are made; they're switching things up; they're challenging the status quo and re-writing the rule book. They're not ordinary so neither should their brand be."
Beccy Owen - Creative Director, The Creative Alchemist
The brand consists of a whole family of chunky, hand-drawn symbols, each with it's own own meaning; we researched ancient symbols so that each was based on a genuine historical meaning too. Each symbol represents one of Double Eleven's USPs which are their creativity; strong bonds as a team; and their adaptability and flexibility.
We worked alongside photographer Chris Davis to produce a brand new bank of photography for the brand too. The headshot style photography plays a significant role in the brand so it was crucial these images were perfect. We also collaborated with digital agency Ryze to provide creative direction, ideas and copywriting on the new website to create an engaging, on-brand experience.
The symbols, photography and typography all work together to create a bold, raw and distinctive brand for Double Eleven that clearly send out the message "we are different". The tone of voice we set out to create was one that was human, supportive and honest but at the same time creative, exciting and ambitious.
As well as working with Double Eleven on their brand strategy, identity and guidelines, we have supported them in creating a framework of materials to be used specifically for recruitment, including branded candidate packs, animated social media posts and an illustrated infographic to give a glimpse into life in the north east. The brand has also been used in the interiors of both office spaces in the UK and Malaysia.