Born was the agency chosen for the rebranding project of the Nors Group in 2022, which essentially involved implementing a monolithic brand system, where the previously institutional (and relatively unknown) Nors brand would replace 17 commercial brands, including the historic AutoSueco (Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Botswana, and Namibia), Strongco (Canada), and AgroFito (Brazil).

This strategic choice aimed to consolidate a single global brand and culture, in response to a growth process largely driven by acquisitions in new markets.

The Nors Group’s origins date back to 1933, when Luis Óscar Jervell secured the representation of the Volvo brand in Portugal. More than 90 years later, CEO Tomás Jervell now leads a group with operations across three continents, around 3,000 employees, and a turnover of 1.5 billion euros (2023).

“The Nors rebranding project resulted—across its entire scope—from the will and vision of a leader to make the brand a strategic tool for business development on a global scale, and to assert a culture of excellence, where the human capital of the team—an area in which the organization excels—is at least as important as the reputation of the brands it represents. Therefore, it expresses itself in a new brand, the flag of a unique identity, built on pride and trust in a future that has been growing for over 90 years,” explains Duarte Vilaça, founder of Born.

The growth was driven by the diversification of business areas and represented brands (Volvo Cars, Volvo Trucks, Renault Trucks, etc.), which brought challenges from a brand architecture perspective.

The transition from a House of Brands to a Branded House involved numerous challenges, including stabilizing a purpose, creating unique operational cultures that could be implemented with stakeholders and employees from distinctly different profiles, given the geographical diversity and roles within the organization.

Another challenge was ensuring that the teams subscribed to and believed in the power of the new brand.

To capture the business development strategy and communication opportunities, Born’s Brand Strategy team initiated a process of consultation with employees across the entire hierarchy of the Group. They then collaborated with the Executive Committee to build the positioning and core content of the Nors brand.

In collaboration with Born’s Brand Voice team, the purpose “Improving lives and businesses through reference service and equipment. Creating continuous value for all” was defined, along with the brand’s values: Legacy, Humanism, Ambition, Diligence, and Integrity.

These elements were complemented by the tagline “Making it Work,” which seals the transition from the institutional Nors brand to a commercial dimension, ensuring a clear commitment to partnership and service quality for all customers—values historically ingrained in the Group.

Reflecting Nors’ activities in various business areas, segments such as Trucks and Buses, Construction Equipment, Agro, Parts, and Ventures were defined, allowing Nors to communicate its message industry by industry and country by country, even while operating as a single brand.

The next step was transforming Nors’ visual identity. Born’s Brand Design team was tasked with incorporating attributes like performance, solidity, and capability, creating a versatile universe that could simultaneously adapt to both institutional and commercial contexts, composed of a wider variety of touchpoints.

With the understanding that the closer the moment to sale, the more the brands of manufacturers such as Volvo and Renault Trucks—among many others—should stand out, the process involved revising the narrative, typography, and color palette of the old brand, as well as creating a more contemporary image bank, where the scale of the business, its human dimension, and the mechanical component would walk side by side.

Over several months, and in close collaboration with the Nors management team, the brand application standards for everyday business operations were defined: institutional presentations, digital platforms, signage, uniforms, merchandising, stationery, and more.

Thus, one of the most internationally present Portuguese groups was reborn, with the brand at the heart of the strategy.

The launch of the Nors brand took place on the 11th in Porto. The brand launch and communication strategy, as well as its implementation, were handled by Havas, with online and offline campaigns planned over the coming weeks.