HYLA MOBILE
Making the Leap to a New Brand
BRAND STRATEGY • BRAND IDENTITY DESIGN • NAMING • COLLATERAL • VIDEO/MOTION • COPYWRITING • WEBSITE
Founded in 2009, eRecyclingCorps (eRC), was a major driver in the new business category of mobile device trade-in and reuse. Their collection, restoration and redistribution model had returned more than 24 million devices back to use and they were poised for a major expansion.
New opportunities meant that it was time to create a strategic new brand identity to prepare eRC for the next phase in the reuse revolution. As more and more people around the world acquired more and more phones they began to pay attention to where these “old” phones would go after one owner.
We worked to position eRC not only as a leader in reclamation but as a champion, leading the charge against the digital divide by re-distributing mobile devices to encourage digital equality around the world. This would take them from “recycler to revolutionary.”
With a new identity came a new name and after many rounds and considerations ranging from technology-based to environmental, we chose HYLA Mobile. Hyla is a genus of tree frog that makes its homes in healthy ecosystems. A new tagline, Mobile Reconsidered, was introduced as was Freddy, a friendly representation of the new brand’s aspirations that became an internal mascot.
The “stamp” that carries the message Trade, Connect, Explore, represents the redefined mobile lifecycle that moves beyond recycling to reuse, sustainability and maybe even a little adventure. The stamp was to be used on new packaging as a symbol of that journey.
This new brand identity has been executed as internal and external sales materials, website design and collateral as well as for use to craft expanded partnerships with major wireless carriers.
We also had the opportunity to concept, write and shoot a new corporate video created in collaboration with Issac Alongi Photographs & Films.
The video needed to work in both a B2B and B2C environments without specifically catering to either to have a longer lifespan and set HYLA for the next phase of development.
We firmly believe in the importance of including employees in any new brand launch. Statistics show that an engaged, included employee works harder, stays longer and is generally happier.
So we created the HYLA Mobile Brand Book, also known as The Why Book. Aimed squarely at HYLA employees and associates, it’s inspiring but not patronizing, sincere but fun and meant to be what we call a “Bad Day Book,” something to pull out now and then to remind them of why they came to work that day.
