Many people (ok, some people) (ok, some ART DIRECTOR people) have speculated about where Grip’s visual identity comes from. To answer this question, we polled current staff on “why orange?”

Those with creative responses were quickly promoted, and showered with diamonds and glory. Those who laughed it off are, sadly, no longer with us.

Here is a smattering of what we got.

Staff Conjecture:

“Orange is vibrant, energetic and warm, like us!”

“It’s the cheapest fruit available to serve to staff?”

“Hindu swamis traditionally wear orange robes because orange symbolizes fire. Obviously.”

“The only thing that rhymes with ‘orange’ is ‘sporange.’”

“I heard it was because we’re always creating, or polishing, or re-evaluting. At any given point it is safe to say that something is ‘Under Construction.’ Hence the orange.”

“I heard it could be our unwavering support of the Dutch soccer team.” “Unwavering?” “Well, my unwavering support?”

“Orange you glad you’re not a banana?” (Ed. Note: no longer with us)

“Orange is tied to energetic days, warmth and ambition. There is nothing even remotely calm associated with this colour.”

“Orange is the color associated with the Sacral Hara Chakra (sexuality and reproduction). Need I say more?”

“Because Big Green Slide didn’t have the same ring to it?”

“It’s bilingual.”

“Easy. Oranges fight off scurvy.”

“I’m colour blind.”

Partner Clarification:

“When we set out to find/create a name for our company, our over-riding objective was a name that evoked a traditional work ethic. This was going to be an agency where everyone rolled up their sleeves and got into doing the work. Workman-like, journeymen, doers-not-talkers.

“’Grip’ became the interpretation of that philosophy. The sound of the word. The connection to our business on the production side. All point to a sense of getting your hands dirty.

“For me, Orange was the perfect backdrop to that language. The colour and the style are reminiscent of the old Gulf Oil wordmark. It feels and looks industrial or industrious. It was differentiating. Name a colour associated with another agency. Can you? The colour is bold and prominent. It has a point of view. It’s clearly Orange and proud. It’s bright. It’s warm. It’s inviting.

“And now, I can’t imagine us being any other colour.”

- Bob Shanks, Managing Partner, Business

“Back when we were first forming Grip, I was driving down Richmond Street and happened to notice a beautiful old building — The Graphic Arts Building — at Sheppard Street. I noticed construction workers going in and out. I decided to do the same.

“Most of the original design was intact. I found out, via a logo imprinted on the banister, that it had once been the offices for Saturday Night Magazine, as well as a humour magazine called Grip Ltd.

“Grip had started to make more money from designing ads for the magazine than from producing the magazine itself. It slowly rolled into a graphic design firm, and, as it turns out, counted Thom Thomson and many of the Group of Seven amongst its staff.

“To me, that name embodied everything we envisioned for our agency: a group of people who were rolling up their sleeves to do what they loved, and to do it better. I was so struck by it that I bought the available URL with my credit card for $25. That night, I went to Bob Shanks’ house and said ‘I think I found our name…’

“Scott Dube took on the unenviable lead of designing our logo. If the name was any indication, the debate over our logo had the potential to go on forever. However, we all gravitated to the bold orange and black look right away. It FELT the way Grip Limited SOUNDED: the workman-like attitude, the images of road pylons and ‘men at work’ construction signs. It doesn’t scream ‘panic’ like red does, or instill a sense of anxiety like yellow.

“When Grip launched, the whole industry (from press to peers) said we wouldn’t last. But we decided not to acknowledge the negativity. We’d let the work speak for itself. That logo, and its colour…a big, orange rondelle, did a lot of the talking for us. It was like our shield. It was perfect.

Still is, in my opinion.”

-  David Crichton, Creative Partner

“Apparently being the designer of the Grip logo means I have to weigh in on my choice of Pantone 021C – which has since evolved into a custom mixed shade of Orange. (Our very own shade of orange!)

“Well, it just made sense. In the end it represented different things to different people. But  in colour theory we’re taught that orange promotes curiosity and exploration, and a willingness to embrace new ideas. It also stimulates enthusiasm, creative play, and vitality with endurance. I’ve heard it also said that people who like orange are usually thoughtful and sincere. These characteristics seem to suggest the very best kind of work culture.

In starting a new company, it didn’t hurt to recognize that Lady Luck’s color is orange. Guess that worked too!”

- Scott Dube, Creative Partner