Principals creates leading-edge launch campaign for Ashurst – Australia’s new global law firm

Leading brand agency Principals has unleashed a cutting-edge advertising campaign to support the launch of the leading global legal brand, Ashurst, into the Australian market.

Law firms Ashurst and Blake Dawson came together on 1 March, creating a new global legal practice with operations in Australia, Europe, the US and Asia.

Blake Dawson has been a client of Principals since 2007, when Principals created an award-winning new brand identity for the firm, launched that year. This work underpinned a significant repositioning of the firm in Australia and Asia.

Principals has since worked with Blake Dawson on a broad range of initiatives to help them embed the positioning strategy throughout the firm.

In September 2011, Blake Dawson briefed Principals on their plans to combine their Asia practice with Ashurst's and to adopt the Ashurst brand.

John Carrington, managing partner of Ashurst in Australia said; “This is, without question, the most significant thing our firm has initiated in its 170 year history. We decided to work with Principals because of our long-standing relationship with them - they understand us so well and have a strong record of creating innovative work for our firm”.

Principals worked alongside Naked Communications to develop the launch campaign, with Principals undertaking the creative strategy and Naked the media strategy.

The three-week online and print pre-launch campaign commenced in February, across all major national and state based publications, and some targeted industry publications which are strategically relevant to the firm.

The main launch campaign went live on 1 March. It is running in all major national and state based publications, online, and in press and industry publications which are aligned with key practice areas for the Firm. There are also large format and digital executions in Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra airports and on in-flight entertainment channels across all domestic flights.

Mary Padbury, Chairman of Ashurst in Australia has said of the campaign: “We are very pleased with the reception of the ads and our name change and feel the campaign accurately reflects our character and our new leading, global status”.

Sandy Belford, strategy director of Principals, said “We have enjoyed a very rewarding relationship with Blake Dawson since 2007. It was, of course, sad to see the Blake Dawson brand disappear but equally exciting to see the firm’s bold strategy for the future come to life in this exciting and game-changing move. It was an interesting task – to launch the internationally-established Ashurst brand in Australia and retain something of the character and culture of Blake Dawson”.

The campaign features the line, “Blake Dawson is Ashurst. Australia’s new global law firm”. It uses unique illustrations and the theme, ‘More than a match’, to show the many ways that the combination of the two firms will bring benefits for clients.

ENDS

Arriarne Kemp-Bishop

Head of Communications, Ashurst LLP

P: +61 3 9679 3216

E: Arriarne.Kemp-Bishop@ashurst.com

Tom Brigstocke

Managing Director, Principals Pty Ltd

P: +61 418 447 094

E: tom@principals.com.au

This email (including any attachments) is confidential and may be privileged. It may be read, copied and used only by the intended recipient. If you have received it in error, please contact the sender immediately by return email. Please then delete both emails and do not disclose their contents to any person. We believe, but do not warrant, that this email and any attachments are virus free. You should take full responsibility for virus checking. Ashurst reserves the right to monitor all email communications through its networks. If the content of this email is personal or unconnected with our business, we accept no liability or responsibility for it.

Ashurst Australia (ABN 75 304 286 095) is a general partnership constituted under the laws of the Australian Capital Territory carrying on practice under the name "Ashurst" under licence from Ashurst LLP. Ashurst LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales, and is a separate legal entity from Ashurst Australia. In Asia, Ashurst Australia, Ashurst LLP and their respective affiliates provide legal services under the name "Ashurst".

Principals is a brand strategy and identity company with offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland.

Principals helps clients build authentic, stand out identities, digging deep to articulate their true

personality and bringing it to life in their visual identity, language, behaviour and communications.

Principals’ services include: brand strategy, brand architecture, brand identity, brand messaging,

brand communications, internal branding, brand guardianship, brand language and brand measurement.

Principals’ work includes rebranding NAB, Australian National University and WongPartnership and the launch of the Greater Western Sydney Giants. Other current clients include MLC, Lend Lease, Australia Post, Clayton Utz, ICAA, University of Newcastle, Local Government Shire Associations, The Trust Company, Brambles, FINSIA, and Sydney Symphony Orchestra.