Returning private equity to first principles with a firm targeting a $500M maiden raise
Overview
The private equity sector is a tired one when it comes to brand. The institutional approach to management and investing often bleeds through into positioning and aesthetics. The visual result is one that’s stained with royal blue, forced analogies of climbing mountains, and copy that’s dripping in arrogance.
New firms often look like new firms by announcing themselves, visually and verbally, out of a desperation to be taken seriously. For 38sth, we made the opposite call.
Results
Since launching, 38sth has seen strong early engagement from institutional investors across their target markets as they build towards their maiden raise. A sharper market position and more focused investment strategy have translated to a noticeable uptick in quality deal flow. Along with 100% team retention, 38sth has received strong inbound interest from prospective hires drawn to their business and brand. Additionally, industry coverage has followed, including the AFR and Mergermarket.
Scope
Brand Strategy
Visual Identity
Creative Direction
Web Design
Web Development
Challenge
Design an identity with the confidence and credibility of a firm in its tenth year, not its first. That was the brief we set with the team at 38sth.
As they were navigating a spin-out from a global firm, we came in to help define their position and ensure the brand reflected the reputation their team had built. More importantly, we needed their new brand to fast-track trust with institutional investors, mid-market business owners, and M&A advisors.
Our role was to develop the brand strategy and identity that’d back their ambition in targeting a $500M maiden raise.
Solution
Rather than leaning into the standard private equity approach to asserting credibility, we built the design direction around quiet confidence.
Typography brought contemporary restraint where the category defaults to institutional serifs. The colour palette of considered neutrals paired with an unexpected fluro accent breaks from category familiarity without undermining authority. Subtle illustrative nods to the longitude/latitude origin of the 38sth name give the system a layer of embedded meaning.
The result is a visual system that feels established rather than emergent.
TEstimonial
Side By Side Studio smashed our brief. Absolutely worth the investment. We launched our brand on time with the distinct look and feel we were looking for. Their professionalism and quality of work were standouts, along with their ability to translate our thoughts into a coherent look and feel, language, and tone. I've already recommended SBS to others.
Gareth Young
Managing Director
Thank You
Massive thank you to the 38sth team (Gareth, William, Oliver, Zach, Gill) for their trust and partnership on this project.
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