SOLVD wins new brand development Transform Award for Noveco Surfaces

Newcastle-based independent media and creative consultancy SOLVD has won a Transform Award for best strategic or creative development of a new brand for its client Kandui Technologies’ Noveco Surfaces.

Created by Transform Magazine and decided by a judging panel of industry experts, the 2024 Transform Awards ANZ were presented last night at Sydney’s Jones Bay Heritage Wharf. The awards recognise excellence in creativity and strategy across the whole brand development process and best practice in corporate, product and global brand development work in the Asia-Pacific region, with categories that focus on content, execution, evaluation and strategy.

Australian sustainable surfaces manufacturer Kandui and its new brand Noveco Surfaces is the only onshore manufacturer of a silica-free, waste-to-product engineered stone alternative, following the Australian ban on engineered stone earlier this year. Noveco produces a range of eco-luxury tiles and benchtops from the stone alternative.

SOLVD developed the brand name Noveco Surfaces right through to the execution of visual elements that break with convention by redefining the industry.

The Noveco Surfaces brand was created to bring innovative ‘Green Ceramics’ technology to the building industry. Green Ceramics are a waste-to-product solid surface solution developed in UNSW’s SMaRT Lab by renowned waste warrior, Professor Veena Sahajwalla. The ceramics redirect glass and textile waste from landfill and turn them into benchtop surfaces. In the first year of production alone, an estimated 35 tonnes of waste will be saved from landfill, with more than one million tonnes of waste diverted from landfill each year after as Noveco further expands its manufacturing operations.

To develop the brand and creative, SOLVD undertook a deep strategic process including key stakeholder discovery workshops, customer research and a competitive analysis to deliver the brand vision, purpose, values and personality. SOLVD identified a clear, unmet need in the market for a surface material that meets high standards of safety, quality and aesthetics but also addresses environmental concerns.

The launch campaign is aimed directly at the design-savvy architect and developer markets, with SOLVD creating the brand strategy using visual elements of the organic nature of the product itself. The campaign uses the themes “Welcome to the new stone age”, “I used to be your jeans” and “I used to be your favourite perfume” to point to Noveco’s sustainable credentials.

“Our collaboration with SOLVD goes beyond a rebrand – it has supported the transformation of our commercial potential,” Noveco Surfaces CEO, Ryan Fritsch, said.

“Clients and other stakeholders are overwhelmingly supportive of the new brand, highlighting the brand and products are exactly what the market needs. Receiving recognition for the work with SOLVD is a testament to the relationship we’ve built. We’re excited to continue revolutionising sustainable building.”

SOLVD Principal Consultant, Sam Gannon said the award was great recognition of the power of regional agencies.

“With so many big names on the Transform Awards shortlist, we’re so excited to see regional agencies like ours represented amongst the winners. There is fantastic work being done all over the country, and I’m so proud to see SOLVD’s campaign making a mark on the regional stage,” he said.

“Noveco Surfaces and Green Ceramics are set to revolutionise the building industry, with audiences invited to embrace an innovative, cost appropriate alternative that is highly beneficial for both people and the planet. In the months since launch there has been overwhelming support for the brand, which is paving the way for significant growth opportunities.”