LMVZ – Ready for the future

When rebranding the Lehrmittelverlag Zürich (LMVZ), we created a brand identity with imagination and system. The newly developed umbrella brand strategy supports image transfer and enables greater visibility. The new LMVZ brand is dynamic, friendly and forward-looking – with potential to inspire learning.

High-quality educational media

The Canton of Zurich founded LMVZ in 1851 to publish teaching materials for all the canton’s primary and secondary schools consistently and cost-effectively. Today, LMVZ is one of the leading publishers of educational materials in German-speaking Switzerland. The publisher employs 38 people, carries a range of about 2,700 items and has won numerous awards internationally for its high-quality, innovative educational media.

In the past, LMVZ has made do without a brand strategy: they were guaranteed contracts from the Canton of Zurich. However, the market for educational media has changed, and these days, it is more competitive than ever before. As part of a strategic realignment that will see LMVZ run as a public limited company in the medium term, the publisher must become pro-active and align itself even more closely with its clients.

Enthusiasm for learning

LMVZ realised that distinctive brand positioning, a strong brand identity and a clear, logical product architecture are key to its success. We suggested an umbrella brand strategy to enhance image transfer and to increase LMVZ’s much-desired visibility. We developed a new brand that is not only dynamic, approachable and forward-looking, but also has potential to get people excited about learning and to set the bar higher in the education sector. The new corporate identity exudes confidence. The LMVZ logo is not only prominently placed but also easily recognisable on its products and in its communications.

Moving communication

The new LMVZ logo’s modular design and its characteristic design elements come across just as well in moving images as they do on the printed page. The logo lettering, with its horizontal lines, evokes a bookshelf or the measuring units of a ruler. One is reminded of LMVZ’s core business of creating school textbooks. The measuring units denote the growth of the students not only physically but also metaphorically.

Spontaneous and dynamic

The abstract or figurative dynamic lines represent an individual’s unique path of learning, development or life, leading to the future. French artist Marie Assénat’s spontaneous, playful illustrations further add to the overall brand experience: reminiscent of a teacher’s sketches on the blackboard, they depict the day-to-day world of the children and adolescents. Finally, the typography is based on the printing script children first learn in primary school.

«The Process team understood our specific sector and the complex challenges we face. They delivered ideas and solutions that helped us create the new brand together. We especially valued the frank conversations we were able to have with Process. Our brand unveiling at the Swiss Education Days was a resounding success!»

Stefanie Kerber, Head of Marketing and Communications at LMVZ

Modular presence

LMVZ’s exhibition stand, which will be used during the Swiss Education Days, the most important education fair in Switzerland, is also based on the characteristic design elements.