The Story

When Jackson McDonald approached us to help mark their 100-year milestone, they didn’t want a typical centenary celebration. They wanted to make a statement. The brief was clear: create a bold, modern brand platform that celebrates their legacy—but more importantly, positions them for the future.

Our Objectives:

• Redesign the logo and visual language to signal evolution, not tradition.
• Develop a brand platform that could flex across a wide spectrum of audiences—potential clients, current staff, graduates, and prospective talent.
• Accommodate a wide range of messaging: from high-level brand storytelling to sharp, focused sales communications.
• Break the category mold and challenge old perceptions.
• Most critically, give Jackson McDonald a voice that is uniquely theirs—confident, honest, and unmistakably human.

This campaign was born from Jackson McDonald’s rich legacy—100 years of legal expertise—but it wasn’t about looking back. It was about using that experience to speak with authenticity and authority. Because what experience teaches you is that clients don’t just want the smartest person in the room—they want someone they trust. Someone relatable, who speaks their language. Someone who educates, not lectures. Who delivers value, not just invoices.

We built a brand voice rooted in 'wise honesty'—insightful, often unexpected, and refreshingly direct. This voice cuts through the stuffy, conservative tone typical of the legal sector and reframes Jackson McDonald as a progressive, bold firm full of individuals willing to back themselves.

Instead of safe, generic copy, the campaign features sharp, memorable statements—‘wise truths’ that challenge industry clichés and speak directly to a range of audiences, including those less familiar with legal jargon.

What emerged is a brand that reflects both Jackson McDonald’s century of experience and their ambition for the future. A brand that breaks category sameness, redefines perception, and offers a flexible platform for genuine, engaging communication.

This isn’t just a celebration of the past—it’s a confident step into the next 100 years.