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Bannockburn News

Battle of Bannockburn brand and website launched in Hollywood style

The new website for the Battle of Bannockburn project launched today (23 July 2012) in Hollywood-style - starting the 700 day countdown towards the 700th anniversary of the battle, when the new state-of-the art visitor attraction will open to the public.

Visit www.battleofbannockburn.com to find out more.

To excite audiences with a taster of what’s to come in the Year of Homecoming in 2014, today the new Bannockburn brand is stationed at the monuments at Bannockburn. A new website features a movie-style trailer that will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. A digital clock will also countdown towards the 700th anniversary.

The ambitious project will bring a world-class visitor attraction to Scotland. A world first, the new visitor centre will feature state-of-the-art 3D technology to engage people in an interactive experience which brings the realities of medieval battle to life in a way which has never been done before.

The £9 million Battle of Bannockburn project represents a partnership between the National Trust for Scotland and Historic Scotland and is funded by generous support from the Scottish Government and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Building work on the project started last month as construction and conservation work began to restore the monuments including the iconic Bruce statue and build the new visitor centre.

The new Battle of Bannockburn brand identity was conceptualised and designed by The Beautiful Meme with consultation from Dalton Maag, the type designers behind the legendary Nokia brand, amongst a host of other international brand names. The design reflects the complexities of Bannockburn, with each letter representing an integral part of the story. For example, the symbol used for the first B illustrates the tight packs in which the Scots would group together, known as Schiltrons. The men would brandish pikes ready to spear oncoming troops.

Tom Sharp, Creative Director of The Beautiful Meme said:
“We set out to create a visual identity that was both brutal and playful, full of meaning yet instantly accessible, and fresh without eschewing tradition – all the things the Visitor Centre itself is going to be. We want people to appreciate the identity before they visit, but appreciate it even more once they’ve had the full Bannockburn experience.”

David McAllister, Project Director, National Trust for Scotland said:
“The new Bannockburn brand represents what the project is trying to achieve, to educate audiences on the facts behind the Bannockburn story as accurately and compellingly as possible. The Trust takes pride in ensuring that the story of the battle is told in a way which gives every visitor the chance to enjoy the experience while paying respect to this critical point in Scottish history.”

Bruno Maag, Managing Director of Dalton Maag said:
"Truly good creative work is rarely the result of only one person, and this project proves it. As a typographer, it is my duty to focus on detail and functionality, as well as perfect execution. The Beautiful Meme were able to interpret my comments without changing the creative expression of the logo, and so we created a successful wordmark."

The existing Bannockburn visitor centre is set to close on 31 October and will be demolished. From autumn 2012, there will be temporary visitor facilities onsite and the Bannockburn team will carry out an education outreach programme.