Traversing the past to build a future-proof brand with Viking Minerals.
Ran Oliver and Court Rouche named their mineral rights acquisition company “Viking Minerals” because… it sounded cool. Not untrue! They launched with a very straightforward logo and website that didn’t differentiate them much from their competition. As they grew, they knew they needed to level up, so they came to Robot House for an all-new logo, visual platform and brand story that would add substance and meaning to Viking Minerals and truly reflect the elevated experience they provide to their clients.
Viking Minerals bridges rural landowners and energy companies, so our challenge was to craft a look and message that fit within the elevated business ecosystem of the latter, while maintaining an approachable, relational voice to appeal to the former. We focused on the positive attributes of viking lore: honor, valiance, integrity. We also took the opportunity to unleash our inner history nerd by researching more unexpected visuals than the obvious winged helmets and bearded brutes, discovering inspirational treasure with viking longboats and runic lettering, which we could give a modern spin befitting the Viking brand.
The repeated geometric lines and angles of the Viking Minerals wordmark were inspired by early stone rune carvings, while various prows of viking longboats inspired the dragon we illustrated as the Viking brandmark, envisioning it revealing itself through the mist at the head of the ship as the explorers enter uncharted land. Despite their pillaging reputation, O.G. vikings often delivered goods from country to country, not dissimilar to Viking Minerals’ role delivering the best deals from energy companies to landowners. They were essentially the FedEx of their day, though you won’t find a hidden arrow in their logo. What you’ll find is a truly elevated look and substantial brand story that has been a perfect calling card for Viking Minerals as they continue to find great success in their field.
When designing a logo, exploring a brand name, or crafting a narrative, we always seek the “Aha!” moment. That word or image or concept that’s not immediately obvious but can reveal itself through slightly deeper exploration. We see it as a bit of a gift to the viewer - a moment of self-satisfaction when things click into place. We experienced multiple “Aha!” moments while developing the Viking Minerals brand, and it was truly a gift to us to be given the opportunity to take a brand filled with so much untapped potential and work to reveal its considerable bounty to the world.
