Sister
Bruntwood SciTech
Director: Pentagram
Capturing the Essence of a City in a New District
How do you bring to life the essence of a new district that hasn't been built yet? Thankfully you work with Bruntwood SciTech, the country’s leading developer of city-wide innovation ecosystems to bring Pentagram's brand identity to life.
A joint venture between The University of Manchester and Bruntwood SciTech, Sister is a new innovation district and neighbourhood at the heart of the city, located between Piccadilly Station and The University of Manchester. It will bring science, technology, and community together to create a porous, innovative district filled with a mix of offices, labs, creative spaces, homes, shops, restaurants, and a new arts centre.
For the launch event, we created a manifesto film that would be the introduction to not only the identity and vision but also even just the name, Sister.
Graphical Identity
Tasked with bringing the brand identity to life, our challenge was to merge its bold graphical language with a visual narrative that conveyed innovation and energy — all without relying on architectural renders or on-site footage.
Drawing on our production and post-production expertise, we combined archive stills, carefully selected stock, bespoke drone shots and B-roll to build a cohesive visual story. Our team shaped the rhythm of the film through a meticulously chosen score — its sharp strings providing drive and momentum, its softer undertones reflecting the fluid line of the brand mark. To complete the experience, local voice artist Fiona Boylan brought authenticity and warmth, her tone capturing the enduring spirit of innovation that defines Manchester.
Voices of Manchester
Allied with the manifesto films were a series of interviews with prominent voices from the city including Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, Chris Oglesby from Bruntwood, Bev Craig from Manchester City Council, Duncan Ivison, Patrick Hackett and John Holden (all from University of Manchester), Elizabeth Scott MBE from Turing Innovation Catalyst Manchester, Alison Ross MBE from Autotrader, Safa Alkateb from Autocab and Jana Stella, founder NeuWave Technologies. These engaging speakers allowed Bruntwood SciTech to build an ongoing series #WhereGreatMindsMeet .
What We Did
- Post production (Editing + Motion GFX)
- VO Recording
- Film talking heads + Lighting and Drone filming
- Archive licensing