Orkney Boreray

Orkney Boreray — The Lost Flock

BRAND STRATEGY

IDENTITY CREATION

WEB DESIGN & BUILD

Orkney Boreray sheep are a very special breed indeed. Tangled in speculation, their curious history stretches back to the Viking landings, and this small group of genetically-unique Boreray sheep on Orkney are now flag bearers for a growing organisation — one that places progressive crofting, agroecology and grower/maker collaboration at its core.

The Orkney Boreray Community will grow the breed and work directly with food producers, restauranteurs, textile makers and craftspeople to ensure the name is a protected symbol of quality and good agricultural practice.

The breed's custodian reached out to us to help establish a clear brand position and identity system that could help grow their recognition on the national stage, as well as expanding its community of crofters and collaborators.

Design choices were informed by the rich history surrounding the breed — one linked to ancient civilisations and forgotten lands. A contemporary serif typeface paired with monospaced sans-serif accompanies the Boreray Ram logo mark.

Stylistically, this mark has been based on early Iron Age carvings of agriculture, and the figure is modelled directly on the physical characteristics of one of the breed's founding rams — the unforgettably named "Settisgarth Bollocks".

The brand supports the breed itself, the association of farmers and crofters who care for their flocks and a commercial business focused on collaboration, production and distribution of the highest quality meat, bone/horn and wool.

Rooted in time and place, the Orkney Boreray brand is pragmatic yet elegant. Dedication to the development and growth of the breed and the community of crofters that facilitate it is paramount to the organisation and the brand — naturally thriving among community, and standing out against competitors.

”We’re delighted with both the branding and website. The team at FortyTwo made the effort to really understand our project, which informed their design work and created something unique and personalised.”

Jane Cooper — Founder, Orkney Boreray