For most of the 699 years that have passed since The Battle of Bannockburn the guardianship of the legendary battle’s story, that played so big a role in Scottish independence [pre-Alex Salmond], has been entrusted to the crusty, old history types- well, especially in England anyway. However, in its 700^th year The Battle of Bannockburn will enjoy something of a renaissance.

The Battle of Bannockburn Project has embarked on a venture with the National Trust of Scotland and Historic Scotland, on behalf of the Scottish Government, to provide a new visitor centre and experience to mark the 700^th anniversary of the battle that saw King Robert the Bruce’s Scottish army rout King Edward II’s English Army.

The task of emblemising the project with an identity was given to creative agency The Beautiful Meme in consultation with Bruno Maag of Dalston Maag. Central to the identity was the new logo that was first released in July 2012 and recently won Best Identity of the Year at the Design Week Awards. The distinctive, medieval-tinged yet contemporary design sees each individual letter of ‘The Battle of Bannockburn’ representing a key element of the battle; for example, the first ‘N’ in Bannockburn is a cavalry horse in a charging position. The logo, in particular it’s individually designed letters, is present throughout the advertising campaigns and even represents merchandising opportunities.

Creative director at the Beautiful Meme, Tom Sharp, said, “We set out to create a visual identity that was both brutal and playful, full of meaning and yet instantly accessible, and fresh without eschewing tradition- all of the things the Visitor Centre itself is going to be. We want people to appreciate the identity before they visit, but appreciate it even more once they’ve had the full Bannockburn experience.”