Lumen (branding agency)


Lumen was a Milan-based multi-disciplined creative and design consulting agency, founded by Pietro Rovatti and Drew Smith in 2003. Drew Smith acquired the agency in 2014, changing the name from Lumen to Smith Lumen.

History

Lumen was founded in 2003 by the Canadian-born Drew Charles Smith, a consumer branding and packaging specialist, and the Italian Pietro Rovatti, a corporate identity and branding specialist. Previously, Smith had been Creative Director at Carré Noir, Robilant & Associati and, eventually, at FutureBrand Gio Rossi Associati, while Rovatti was Senior Art Director at Sudler & Hennessey and later Creative Director at FutureBrand Giò Rossi Associati.

Corporate structure

Lumen's approach was called branding innovation and, according to its founders, this is what made the agency quickly growing internationally, by opening a branch office in London in 2006 and establishing strategic partnerships in the same year with Mildberry, the first branding network in Russia, and in 2011 with 1.618, a Hong Kong-based branding agency. At its climax in 2011, the agency had 50 employees of 18 different nationalities.
Lumen offered a wide range of services for corporate ad private clients, such as brand strategy, packaging design, corporate & brand identity, brand management, retail design, environmental design, interactive media, point of sale and merchandise design.

Clients

Lumen had worldwide-known clients from multiple business sectors, like Ferrero, AC Milan, Campari, Diageo. Autogrill, Bonduelle, Zuegg, Unilever, Club Med, Illy, Parmalat, Gancia, Sky, Bticino, Barclays, Kellogg's, Heinz, Henkel, Festina and Rolex.

Awards

Some Lumen's works have been awarded due to their style and the use of innovative materials. The project realized for the rum Zacapa Centenario Etiqueta Negra has been focused on the "emotional involvement of the material used in the packaging" : a reason that prompted the Material Connexion research institute to show the product at the "Materiali innovativi e imprese 2009" exhibition, organized under the patronage of the Chamber of Commerce of Milan at the design museum Triennale di Milano.
A list of the most notable honours the agency received when still was known as Lumen:
CompetitionYearCountryAward CategoryProductClientResult
Grandprix Pubblicità Italia2011ItalyLuxury Packaging AwardZacapa XODiageoWinner
Grandprix Pubblicità Italia2011ItalyBrand Manual AwardFedrigoniWinner
Grandprix Pubblicità Italia2011ItalyPharmaceutical Packaging AwardRilastilIstituto GanassiniWinner
Designpreis Deutschland2011GermanyPreliusCompagnia di VolpaiaNominee
Mediastar2011ItalyInternet Entertainment AwardgiOXO Digital EntertainmentOXOWinner
Grandprix Pubblicità Italia2010ItalyBeverage Packaging AwardCinzano VermouthCinzanoWinner
Grandprix Pubblicità Italia2010ItalyLuxury Packaging AwardYacht Club CaseDiageoWinner
Grandprix Pubblicità Italia2010ItalyCorporate Literature AwardBottega VerdeWinner
Red Dot2009GermanyBest of the Best: Packaging Design AwardPreliusCompagnia di VolpaiaWinner
Grandprix Pubblicità Italia2008ItalyCorporate Identity AwardAC MilanWinner
Grandprix Pubblicità Italia2008ItalyCosmetics Packaging AwardBio ClinIstituto GanassiniWinner
Grandprix Pubblicità Italia2008ItalyPublishing Design AwardGazzetta dello SportRCS MediaGroupWinner
Grandprix Pubblicità Italia2008ItalyBest Logo Design AwardFondazione CariploWinner
Grandprix Pubblicità Italia2007ItalyBeverage Packaging AwardBoarioFerrarelle S.p.A.Winner
Grandprix Pubblicità Italia2007ItalyFood Packaging AwardCanned Vegetables BonduelleBonduelleWinner
Pentawards2007United StatesBottled WatersFerrarelle Special EditionFerrarelle S.p.A.Bronze