Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s entertainment and multimedia company Westbrook saw immediate success upon its founding in 2019. The company has gone to play a pivotal role in award-winning films and television like King Richard, Red Table Talk, and Bel-Air. But even when a brand is doing well, it can be daunting to try and predict what its future holds. Westbrook needed a clearer sense of direction, so they turned to the strategic design agency and PRINT favorite Six Cinquième to help them build a more solid brand foundation. Thanks to the Montréal agency, Westbrook’s new branding system features eclectic splashes of color that bolster the company’s approachable yet rebellious attitude. The rich redesign adds an extra layer that underlines their interest in empowering storytelling.
Westbrook Inc is the entertainment and multimedia company behind award winning film and television such as King Richard, Red Table Talk and Bel-Air to name a few. Founded only in 2019 by none other than Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, the young company was on the road to success, with many strong up and coming projects in the works.
However, despite the company’s industry success and budding notoriety, we learned that, although there seemed to be a clear and shared vision for the company amongst the executive team, employees had a hard time envisioning the future of the company and recognizing its true potential. A clear purpose and solid foundation were lacking, providing very little for employees and partners to latch onto beyond the company’s celebrity backing.
Internally, both employees and executives started to question, “What can Westbrook’s legacy be?” and “What do we represent as an independent brand and company?”
Westbrook needed to become a brand that they identified strongly with, that inspired them on their own personal journey’s and that made their work feel meaningful.
That’s where we came in. The Six Cinquième team decided to work from the inside out, bottom up, to gain a deep understanding of Westbrook’s culture, brand potential, aspirations and vision.
Our goal was to consolidate all perspectives and visions of the company to build a brand that was a true reflection of the people behind it.
Over the span of 2 days, we facilitated 2 co-creative workshops as part of our discovery phase, where we gathered insight into the company, first from the employees’ perspectives and then from the executive team’s perspective. Working closely with the WB team, we narrowed in on what makes WB unique by helping them think aspirationally about the brand and long term about the company.
Together we discovered that WB is a group of friendly rebels, connecting people globally through shared stories of human truth, sparking unexpected growth and inspiration in people, collaborating with and empowering diverse perspectives. These ideas were at the heart of the company’s goals, values and ambitions. Their premium content – which can live anywhere, make you laugh or cry, win Oscars or Webbys – inspired the brand’s personality. One that knows when to take itself seriously, or not, but always delivers just what you need in the best possible way.
These ideas and concepts translated to the refinement of the logo, the refreshed design of the new brand and the reworking of the way in which the company describes itself in words.
In the end, we went from a brand void of color and personality to one that reflects the diverse spectrum of ideas behind it. But beyond a fresh new look, we provided Westbrook with a strong, clear strategic foundation from which to build an authentic, impactful company.
Our process provided them with the clarity needed to restructure their business and even start ideating new ventures to secure the brand’s longevity and further the success of their greater mission. They’ve also been provided with the tools and best practices for how to live up to this new brand positioning.
We helped Westbrook define a purpose driven brand that people can feel proud to be part of and engage with. One that is as much an internal reflection of the company as it is the work they put out.
