Every time I go to the gym, I notice this staffing agency just across the street. And having my attention drawn to it wasn’t a good thing. The visuals — from what I could see, the signage and the building itself — were just fine. Corporate, clean, and minimal. What was really bothering me was the NAME of the brand, not the look of it.
I don’t want to name-drop here, so the best I can do is say it had to do with speed/efficiency. Which I get — if you’re looking for a job, you probably want a job fast. But what about the people who don’t want to be treated like a number? The people who want a job that lasts? That’s the root thought this project came from.
Lasting Employment Solutions: Iowa’s Most Human-First Staffing Agency. A smaller firm with a brand that starts at the name and puts its people at the forefront.
I started my creative process after establishing the brand’s position after discovery. I wanted to position Lasting as the local staffing agency that focused its efforts on new workers and high-churn industries, where speed AND guidance mattered.
The three audience personas targeted included new-to-workforce 18 to 30 year olds who needed guidance and realistic job expectations, Iowa employers sized 200-250 in industries such as manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare, who are searching for pre-screened candidates that stick, and lastly, a split tertiary demographic of return-to-work adults age 45-60 and workforce ecosystem community partners such as community colleges.
From there, I look through inspiration sources such as Pinterest and Cosmos to start building a moodboard for creative direction.
The Lasting logo represents an ongoing synergy between worker and workplace, with typography that hints out future and innovation while remaining clean and legible. The colors red and blue were used primarily for sturdiness and trustworthiness, but contextually can represent a subtle patriotism of work. The highlighter yellow was the streak, the accent, of innovation I think the brand needed to differentiate in the market.
Lasting’s brand attracts the younger, hip crowd without scaring away employers or older adults seeking serious work or partnerships. It’s simply a brand designed to give a shit about new workers looking for a lasting career.
