Based in Berlin, Undiscovered is a recruitment agency specialising in creative roles. Specifically, it matches talent in design, product, engineering, and marketing with startups, agencies, and corporations across Europe.
They recently changed their name and began expanding into new regions. To uphold these lofty ambitions, they felt a rebrand was needed.
And so they turned to Hyperfocus, a young and eager boutique agency based in Hamburg that sits at the intersection between brand and product design.
Hyperfocus worked on strategic positioning, character and brand development, naming, and website design.
The brief
Initially, Undiscovered was called MR Recruitment, named after the business’s founder. But after many years in the industry, carving out a successful track record, it was time to make the big leap forward and rebrand.
“At first, it was uncertain whether we should rename the company, as they were already established,” recalls Paul Watmough-Halim, co-founder and digital brand director of Hyperfocus. “But as we drove further into the ideas and directions we were having, it became clear it would be a smart thing to do.”
Consequently, the name became a driving factor in the brand’s storytelling. “We wanted everything to spark interest and joy at all touchpoints,” he says. We here at Hyperfocus believe in creating brands that are bold, brave, and also fun. So that’s what we wanted to do for MR Recruitment: create something people would remember and love.”
Naming process
So, how did they go about naming? “We have a process here at the studio which is kind of like a mass round of eliminations,” Paul explains. “We categorise words and names into groups: names that connect and names that also are nonsensical. Pairing words and building new ones helps us find candidates. This takes a very long time and is often the hardest part of the process.
“Often, when you find a name, it’s already taken,” Paul continues. “There is a local, regional, and international registration and checking part, which is a killer. There were a few names in the running at the end, which we also put to a vote internally and on social media.
“Ultimately, though, the name appeared as we discussed other names near the end of the process. This can often be the case with naming: you can create a structure and process around it, but sometimes it just appears whilst being part of the overall mindset of discovery.”
Fun character
They based the new visual identity around a detective character who, with relentless persistence, finds the best jobs and talent for his candidates and clients.
“Our little protagonist is a personification of the founder, synonymous with wearing a little pork pie hat,” explains creative director Paul Watmough-Halim. “He’s been wearing it for years. He’s a big French guy and can be spotted very easily from afar. So that hat had to be in the concept.