Ten Years On: The Rebrand
In 2016, I was three years into my role at Lawrence Harvey Group, proudly holding the title of Marketing Manager and, at the time, thinking I had a fairly solid grip on what my job entailed.
Spoiler alert: I did not.
One ordinary day (which, in hindsight, was anything but), I was called into our Founder & CEO Tom Glanfield’s office. Now, being summoned by the CEO can go one of two ways: either you’ve done something spectacularly right, or spectacularly wrong. Thankfully, this was neither. It was something far more exciting… an idea.
Tom laid out a vision in front of me - we were going to become more than one brand.
At that point, we were Lawrence Harvey and had been going strong for 14 years. One name, one identity, one business (with sub-brands Lawrence Harvey Oil & Gas and Lawrence Harvey Life Sciences). The question he posed was quite simple: do we expand everything under the Lawrence Harvey name, or do we create something entirely new - an umbrella brand that would house multiple distinct identities?
It sounds like a branding workshop question. But in reality, it was the beginning of months of intense strategy, debate, and creative exploration.
Obviously, we chose the latter. Of course we did. Because why take the simple route when you can completely reinvent everything?
What followed was months of research, ideation, and what I can only describe as deep emotional investment in names. Naming something is incredibly difficult. Naming something that represents a future vision, multiple businesses, and an entire culture? That’s borderline existential.
Eventually, after multiple workshops and exhausting debate, we landed on Avidity Global.
It sounded sharp. Intentional. We had logos. We had branding. We had sign-off.
And then, at the eleventh hour, Tom called me.
“I’ve changed my mind,” he said. (Never the words you want to hear after months of work.)
“I think we should call it LHi Group.”
I remember him mentioning something about Apple inc., but to be honest, I was spinning! There was a moment (a brief one, I promise) of frustration. I had already invested so much time into Avidity - but this is the thing about branding that no one really tells you… it’s not just a marketing exercise. It’s instinct, leadership, timing, and sometimes, gut decisions that can override months of logic.
And Tom’s gut was right.
LHi Group was simpler, stronger, and more connected to our roots. Ten years on, I can say that with absolute certainty.
Building our foundations… again
So, with the name finally locked, the real work began.
I was one person, tasked with reimagining an entire business. I’d been through a rebrand before in my previous company, but not at the centre of it – this project gave me a completely different perspective.
Rebranding isn’t just a logo refresh. It’s not picking a nice font and calling it a day. It’s building an entire identity system from scratch - something that has to work across countries, cultures, teams, and touchpoints.
I had the pleasure of creating everything; The logo, the colour palette, typography, imagery, tone of voice – everything that goes in to how you digest a brand.
Most importantly, a feeling.
Tom’s vision was clear: outwardly, we needed to be ultra-professional - clean, sleek, corporate. But internally we were a melting pot. Diverse people, ideas, cultures, locations, personalities and brands. A business that felt alive.
That contrast became the heart of the brand.
We landed on a black-and-white palette - bold, confident, and minimal. But then came the twist: lots and lots of colour. Hidden within. Emerging when you looked closer. The idea was simple: from the outside, you saw structure you could trust; on the inside, you discovered a colour explosion representing our energy, diversity, and individuality. Our internal slogan at the time; “Choose to be different”.
It was branding with storytelling - I loved it.
Battle of the Brands
Around this time, I was joined by a Graduate Marketing Assistant, Lewis Cornwall - who is now, ten years later, our Senior Brand & Marketing Specialist.
Together, we designed collateral, built a brand-new website, and created a global launch campaign. It was creative, fast-paced, intense and occasionally chaotic.
But LHi wasn’t launching alone.
Alongside it, we were unveiling an entirely new brand; SciPro (formerly Lawrence Harvey Life Sciences)
Not just that, we were shining the spotlight on our newest brand creations and bringing them under the LHi Group umbrella; Piper Maddox (our new clean energy brand, rising from the ashes of Oil & Gas) and Harper Harrison (focused on critical infrastructure). Not forgetting to keep Lawrence Harvey unique and established as a leader in Technology recruitment.
Each needed its own identity, voice, and positioning, while still feeling part of a cohesive group.
This is where rebranding becomes less of a project and more of a puzzle. Every piece has to fit individually and collectively. Too similar, and you lose distinction. Too different, and you lose unity.
We were constantly walking that tightrope.
Launch Day: Brass Bands and Bubbles
After months of work, we launched in October 2016, and we didn’t do it quietly.
Across every office, we went all in. Employees were welcomed by brass bands (yes, actual brass bands), champagne was flowing, branded balloons filled the space, walls were rebranded overnight, and fresh LHi merchandise was everywhere.
It was loud. It was celebratory. Exactly what it needed to be.
It was important this was treated as a momentous occasion - the impact needed to be felt by every person in every office, because rebranding is nothing until people feel it. You can design the most beautiful brand in the world, but if your people don’t connect with it, it won’t stick. That day wasn’t just about unveiling a new logo - it was about creating a new sense of belonging.
The website went live. Social channels switched over. The Lawrence Harvey Group that we knew evolved into something much bigger.
