When Jerry and Mary Ellen Heirigs (the "J" and "M" behind J&M Auto Service) connected with me about updating their brand, the very first point of our conversation was how we could refresh the look without losing the three decades of brand recognition they had already built.
About J&M Auto Service
With 30 years of experience and a highly skilled team of professionals, J&M Auto Service delivers comprehensive auto repair services for families and individuals in Sioux Falls and throughout the southeast South Dakota region. Understanding the challenges of vehicle downtime, they prioritize efficiency and reliability in their work. Their commitment to integrity ensures that customers receive top-notch service with every visit, keeping them on the road with confidence and peace of mind.
Brand Essence
During our brand strategy session, we defined J&M's brand story, values, voice, mission, market fit, and much more. Brand keywords are a great way to capture the "essence" of a brand. For J&M, these keywords include:
Caring
Knowledgeable
Growth
Trust
Empathetic
Professional
Project Details
We provided J&M with a full suite of branding and design:
Behind the Design
In approaching the visual identity for J&M Auto Service, our aim was to create a fresh, modern look while preserving 30 years of brand recognition within the community.
The goal—and the challenge—was to discern what visual elements to retain as indicators of the brand everyone knows and what to change to signify the company’s evolution as it enters a new chapter of growth and expansion.
To achieve this, we retained the signature brand colors of royal blue and classic red, and enhanced the palette by adding deeper shades of navy blue and dark red, along with a neutral light blue to balance the overall look.
We also kept one of the signature fonts from the original logo and replaced the somewhat outdated italicized serif font with a more modern serif. This new font is bold, makes a statement, and features clean, simple, straight-edged lines.
Below is the curated imagery, or mood board, that inspired the design direction.
We also developed a few secondary logos and monograms (shown below) to provide variety and ensure ease of use across different applications and environments.
Brand Patterns, Imagery & Icons
Customized patterns were created for the J&M brand, incorporating line work that adds a complementary, modernized feel. We provided creative direction for imagery that is simple and clutter-free, featuring detailed auto parts, clean and welcoming shop photos, and friendly, relatable faces. The icon suite was customized with J&M's brand colors and can be used to help communicate and educate on topics that might not be familiar to the average person.
Brand Colors
The color palette for J&M is a nod to their past, enhanced with a few additional shades to support their future expansion.
During the brand strategy phase, I always research the psychology behind colors to ensure that the emotional impact aligns with how we want to connect with the business's target audience. I study individual colors and their interactions to determine a palette with depth, meaning, and the ability to evoke feelings that perfectly align with the brand.
Branding Beyond the Logo
Once the logos and all visual elements were established, we created a variety of collateral pieces to ensure a consistent experience anytime someone sees or interacts with the J&M Auto Service brand.
To learn more about J&M Auto Service, visit jmtransmissionservice.com.
If you are an established business considering a rebrand, let's chat! Request a free call to learn how we can help you elevate your brand and your confidence as a business owner.
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