In 1994, the UK mobile phone market was confusing, complex, inflexible and expensive. Digital networks had just been introduced, but few people understood the benefits. Complex tariffs and high prices made cellular phones only attractive to business customers.

At the time of its launch, in April 1994, Orange was the fourth entrant into an already crowded UK mobile phone market, with an ambitious aim: to become the mobile provider of choice by making communications an intuitive and easily accessible part of daily life. For everyone. To succeed, it had to establish itself as radically different.

Orange had a radically different idea. We thought a better world would be one without barriers. They wanted to change people’s attitudes by making mobile communications an intuitive part of everyday life - for everyone. Orange began building a fresh new identity and approach to how they talked to and treated their customers. One that would create a rational and emotional appeal.

Orange enlisted the influential brand consultancy Wolff Olins for help in producing a brand identity, name and visual style that would create high awareness … and attract customers.

Colour was used simply and confidently, complemented by simple language, short sentences and an easy to read typeface. Words spelt out the customer benefit rather than the technical specification of a product.

Overnight our brand caught people’s imagination and became a personality. Within two weeks of its launch the brand had achieved 45% awareness. After two years this had reached 70%: 20% higher than its leading mobile competitors at the time, Vodafone and Cellnet.