Tas Gas and Principals create Solstice brand

Principals – a design and branding agency – has helped Tas Gas create its Solstice brand in an effort to reflect its new offering.

The announcement:

Branding design agency Principals has created the Solstice brand for Tas Gas as the energy provider expands its offering beyond gas.

For the past 20 years, Tas Gas has owned and operated gas infrastructure and retail services in Tasmania and regional Victoria. Earlier this year, the business sought a licence to become an electricity retailer.

Tas Gas Retail general manager Sarah Thurstans said: “For too long Tasmanians have been restricted with one local energy retailer. With rising energy prices, cost of living pressures and acceleration of the energy transition, a competitive local market and customer choice are vital. As Tasmania confidently establishes itself as Australia’s lifestyle destination, now is the time for a fresh voice and true energy alternative.”

To communicate this diversification, a brand rethink was required.

Principals worked with Tas Gas to develop a brand architecture that encompasses its existing gas network and retail offering in addition to the new retail energy arm. Following a process of research and discovery, the “Different Energy” positioning was created and the Solstice brand was born.

The brand name Solstice Energy Group encapsulates the full scope of the business while the electricity and retail offer is represented with the Solstice Different Energy brandmark. The Tas Gas brand will remain as the face of the gas network.

Principals worked closely with the Tas Gas team to establish the brand identity and voice for Solstice. The brandmark reimagines the symbol for energy in a fresh way, creating a shorthand ‘S’ informed by the rounded form of the sun.

Principals creative director Rachel Terkelsen said: “Solstice is an ambitious and exciting brand, a challenger in proposition and articulation. It’s brave, empowering and distinctive.”

Thurstans added: “Solstice is a brand that’s community-orientated and proudly Tasmanian. A breath of fresh air in essentially a monopoly market, a true alternative to the incumbent energy provider finally giving Tasmanians choice.”

Source: Principals