From units to homes
SAGE HOMES
Sage Homes (formerly Sage Housing) was founded in 2017 as one of the first scaled for-profit provider of affordable housing in the UK, on a mission to tackle the on-going housing crisis where rising rents, pay freezes, and a widespread lack of affordable homes, had made living tough for many socioeconomic groups with lower income.
What we did:
Strategy
Brand positioning Brand platform Naming
Design
Visual identity Verbal identity Iconography Illustrations Motion design UX/UI design Guidelines
Content
Copywriting Photography direction Implementation plan Design templates Office templates
Changing the game
When Sage launched, the company had managed to break important new ground. Not only by building more homes, but by bringing an enterprising and pioneering spirit to the otherwise lagging industry, dominated by slow-moving and bureaucratic local non-for-profit housing associations. But even though Sage had made a stir in the housing business, the brand was little known. Not only did they need a stronger communicative position to set them apart from other affordable housing providers, but an identity that would reflect their mission in society: good affordable homes as a steppingstone towards a better life.
Homes to build lives in
To build a brand that brought to life Sage’s care for tenants and society at large, we centered the new identity around a new promise – Homes to build lives in. As a consequence of the strategy, we renamed them from Sage Housing to Sage Homes, a small change that spoke volumes. This was backed up by a visual world that was warm and engaging. A celebration to imperfection and individuality. Illustrations were used to increase warmth even further. And for the images real tenants were photographed, often with an object they cherished. And not to forget – an image concept where you get a glimpse of people’s lives, literally framed by windows, picture frames, and curtains.
The Sage way
Our rebranding helped Sage to find a compelling way to talk about affordable housing. And was just as different from the competition as it was engaging towards tenants. Everything to strengthen their position as a housing provider that cares. For people, for the planet, and for places. With homes to build lives in.
