So I'd been working on Lenovo for about 8 years at this point. Being the Creative Director on a brand like Thinkpad has its own set of challenges. At a certain point, It becomes difficult to consistently keep creating 'Something New' for a legacy brand.

Hence, it's crucial to actively look for briefs that inspire you. Perhaps something that can help you leave your mark on the brand at hand.

I was overjoyed to have found mine.

The task was to develop and market a new B2B SERVICES IP under the ThinkPad umbrella that would serve their existing Partners/Clientele. The IP launch was scheduled to take place at the CICSO headquarters in Bangalore. One of the biggest client at ThinkPad.

After a few days of brainstorming, we came with name 'ThinkClinic'. Neat and to the point. Now all we needed was a visual mechanism to carry and register the idea effectively.

To design something like this, it very important to internalise the brand that you are working with. To do so, here are 4 things I ask myself to pin-point my approach: 

• Understanding the audience : Who are you selling to? Why will they show interest?
• Brand sandbox : Thoroughly understanding the Do's and Don'ts of the brand.
• Identifying a visual carrier : A piece that can remind the viewer of the main brand in context.
• An Idea : Something that will pique interest and resonate with the said audience.

With the first three out of my way, I went straight to finding the visual idea. 'Health of a computer' kept reminding me of the de-fragmentation process which used to keep PC's health in check back in the day.

After looking at few references and reminiscing about the good old days, I went straight to the drawing board. 'ThinkHeart' came soon after.

De-fragmented heart : A health monitor for your THINKPAD.

ThinkClinic : Lenovo special services unit.

As a team we were targeting two specific outcomes with the idea and design now in place:

• Lenovo Special Service Unit brand to create a bigger thinkClinic base, and popularise #LenovoServiceLive with the target audience.
• Elevate the customer service experience for one of the best-selling laptops.

The on-ground activity at CISCO was portrayed as fast-paced, efficient and well-managed. With Lenovo’s Special Services Unit(Technicians) putting their hearts into the project, the visual identity of ThinkClinic was now resonating their effort.

Additionally we designed and hosted serval customer engagement activities like 'Torture tests on a ThinkPad' which added to the legacy brand stance of being 'Tough'.

Outcome :

With over 700 happy CISCO employees, the initiative was able to create a unique experience for its customers while reassuring assistance, no matter how big or small your business.

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