From seven districts to one unified brand identity

Project	Rebranding seven identities into one new brand identity
Scope	Municipality of Amsterdam
Challenge	Creating one uniform appearance for an entire municipality without reducing operational availability

Since 1990, Amsterdam had 16 different districts – each with its own administrative organisation. In 2010, this number was halved to the seven current districts, which were further reduced in their roles in 2014. With this further centralisation, the municipality had to present itself as one unified entity again. RGN had been involved since 2005 in developing and implementing the city’s branding, and this time, we ensured that the municipality operated with one consistent look. From the buildings to the vehicle fleet, everything now breathes the distinctive Amsterdam identity.

The challenges

The transition to a uniform brand identity for the municipality posed several challenges:

Merging seven different brand identities into one
Creating a uniform look across the entire municipality
Rebranding all vehicles without reducing operational capacity
Supporting the internal organization throughout the entire process

One city, one face: a uniform brand for clarity and recognition

By standardising the brand identity for all districts, the municipality aimed to create clarity for residents, visitors, and other stakeholders; one point of contact for the entire city. For buildings, this meant consistent signage and a uniform, recognisable style. All vehicles had district-specific features removed, with the iconic triple Andreas crosses applied in a consistent manner.

Planning complexities

With over 700 vehicles requiring a new brand identity, precise planning was crucial. Our priority? Ensuring that all vehicles remained fully operational during the rebranding. Thanks to our network of local partners and a wide availability of the rebranding locations, we were able to organise the project flexibly. This allowed us to give the entire fleet a unified look without disrupting the operational availability of either vehicles or personnel.

Innovative tooling

In a rebranding project of this scale, effective tooling is essential. It helps us maintain oversight and supports our project managers throughout the entire process. A detailed registration also provides a solid foundation for managing and maintaining the fleet. In case of damage, it’s immediately clear which branding set is needed to restore the vehicle to its original Amsterdam look after repairs. This way, the Municipality of Amsterdam can always present itself as a strong, unified brand.

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Implementation

A rebranding following the merger of two municipalities