The internationally renowned model village, Port Sunlight, has revealed its rebrand.
It was carried out by Liverpool’s Poke Marketing, which was tasked with reconnecting the destination with modern audiences, while honouring its heritage.
Port Sunlight was founded by William Hesketh Lever in 1888 and is one of the best surviving examples of a model village in the world.
Poke was commissioned by Port Sunlight Village Trust and carried out an extensive strategic brand development project to understand all stakeholders, its history and future ambitions.
“Port Sunlight isn’t just a beautiful village. It’s a story about people. Every building, every garden, every pathway, every worker and every resident has played a role in shaping what makes this place so special,” explained Paul Lowcock, Creative Director at Poke Marketing.
“What struck us most was how relevant many of the founding principles still feel today. The focus on wellbeing, community, opportunity and respect for people remains incredibly powerful. Our challenge was to create a brand that honours that legacy whilst inspiring new audiences to discover Port Sunlight for themselves.”
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The agency explained that the resulting brand was designed to reflect a place that was far ahead of its time and built on “a people-first ethos, where worker wellbeing, education and community were prioritised at a time when such thinking was far from the norm.”
Poke has created a bespoke typeface, Sunlight Serif, inspired by typography found on original Sunlight Soap packaging, historic village signage and previous Port Sunlight identities. It said that the typeface created a distinctive bridge between past and present.
The wider design takes inspiration from the village itself, drawing on the shapes, patterns, grids and architectural details that define Port Sunlight’s unique character.
Poke added that the creative was built around “a simple but powerful truth: Port Sunlight is a place of stories. Stories of innovation. Stories of community. Stories of resilience. Stories of culture. And most importantly, stories of people.”
The new brand identity will be rolled out across visitor communications, digital platforms, marketing materials, signage and future brand experiences.
