In winemaking, only wines from the finest vineyards are given the distinguished classification of ‹cru›. It’s a designation that the winemakers of France revere with grave significance and one that we also hold in the highest esteem. It stands for an unflinching dedication to extraordinary quality. And so do we.
We are CRU—the agency for extraordinary branding.
In winemaking, ‹CRU› signifies extraordinary quality—a designation that we take to heart, especially when it comes to people.
project teams
By getting to know the inner workings of your organization this dedicated project team will be able to create something that’s distinct to your brand and with the greatest business impact.
We are here to answer four key questions for your brand: What should it do? What does it say? How does it feel? And where will it come alive?
Every creative decision we make is based on thoughtful strategic insight. We work with you to identify the opportunities where your brand can make the biggest impact
Discovery
User & Stakeholder Interviews
Questionnaire
Brand Foundations
Brand Workshops
Brand Planning
Brand Architecture
Brand Positioning
Go-to-Market-Strategy
A good Brand Story isn’t just anecdotal. It provides the source code, or screenplay, for how the brand feels, thinks and behaves. We’re here to help you tell that story.
Visioning
Naming
Manifesto
Brand Story
Value Proposition
Key Messaging
Brand Tonality
Copywriting
We believe that meticulous brand design is the cornerstone of every extraordinary brand, allowing for compelling visuals and consistent design systems that help you look the part.
Visual Identity
Logotypes and Brand Marks
Typeface Design
Graphic Design Language
Brand Identity Systems
Brand Collaterals
Digital Brandbooks
Art Direction
Brand Refresh
Brand Campaign
Every creative decision we make is based on thoughtful strategic insight. We work with you to identify the opportunities where your brand can make the biggest impact
Web Design
Web Development
Motion Design
Brand in Product
UX & UI
Content Execution
Place Branding & Wayfinding
Here are the clients who have trusted our branding agency to guide them out of the ordinary sector.
OWWN
Bitwala 2.0
Nuri (Strategy & Product)
Shush
Bitvavo
AppliedAI Institute
AI Campus
Merantix
Kausa
Certif.ai
Signatrix
Pacta
KMC Kroatien
SDK Versicherungen
Monin
Landwärme
Neumann
Science & Startups
Deutsche Aidshilfe
Heimathafen Berlin
zlb — Zentrale Landesbibilothek Berlin
pwc
Elaboratum
Management Partner
east Agency
La Mæson
Monin
Micky Oye
LingoAce
Eykt
Ithaka
Dealcode
Careville
FAQ
Now, we could say: «Why bother? You’re already here with us!» But it’s a totally valid question. A good branding agency needs to fit you and your needs. Do you like their work? How do the people come across? And once you’ve reached out: how are you treated? Are they transparent about pricing structures or how the project team is put together? All these are crucial factors in finding the right partner for your branding. (Still, make sure to put us on your shortlist—we’re seriously that good.)
We’re CRU GmbH, a tight knit branding agency of Storytellers, Strategists, Designers, and Account Managers based in Berlin & Munich who want to build extraordinary brands.
From our experience we’ve found that the norm is that there is no norm. So, it depends. We can create a full brand (or rebrand) in 100 days: including storytelling, design, and development—even a name if needed. But this process can move slower or faster, depending on how much time and your team can commit to the project. We also can work on smaller projects, focusing on specific needs if you are working on a tight timeframe.
We hand pick the perfect CRU members to work in a fixed projects team for each project from start to finish. You’ll see the same friendly faces in account, strategy, story and design throughout your entire project. We won’t be putting interns and freelancers on the job behind the scenes. You’ll get the right experts for the job. We’ve found that communication becomes quicker and easier if the teams stay small and close with the client.
We’re not gonna surgarcoat it: every branding project big and small is a commitment. That’s because we believe if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right. But we also have refined our branding process to ensure that we’ll never schedule unnecessary meetings or overwhelm you with too many details. We only ever present work that we truly believe is suited for you, and promise it’ll be worth your time.
This varies greatly, from consultations with strategic impulses, to full brand identities with a brand manifesto and tonality, visual identity, design libraries, film & motion, to complete rollouts / market (re-)entry strategy. Our projects are therefore between 25 and 250k€.
Things can be sped up—to a point—but can never be rushed. Fixed project teams mean that we would never just throw freelancers on it until the project is done- the results wouldn’t be worth it. The solution often lies in smart project planning and working in phases: tackling your most urgent branding needs first and teasing the rest out slowly.
Well, it starts with a phone call or email—don’t be shy. Just get in touch and we can discuss what you need. Whether you need to start from square one and build a whole new brand with us, or just need some touch ups in the design or story department, we’re all ears. We have a smooth onboarding process that makes kicking things off easy.
It’s a toss up between yellow & black.
There’s more where this came from. We’d love to assemble a costom case portfolio just for you...
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