Builders’ Merchants News has been the voice of the UK merchant industry since 1976. With nearly 50 years of publishing behind it and a readership of thousands of senior leaders across the building materials sector, BMN is an institution. When the time came to evolve the brand, the brief was clear: bring it into a new era without losing what made it trusted in the first place.
We were asked to lead a full rebrand for BMN, covering a new logo and brand identity, as well as a complete redesign of the magazine. From the outset, our approach was to honour the heritage of the publication rather than erase it. BMN means something to its readers and the wider industry, so we wanted every decision to feel considered and respectful of that history, while giving the brand a look that felt fresh, confident and built for the future.
The new logo retains a sense of authority and familiarity, but with cleaner lines and a more modern identity that works across print and digital. The updated brand identity gave the team at BMN a consistent visual language to carry forward, one that reflects the quality and credibility the magazine has built over decades.
The magazine layouts were redesigned from the ground up. We moved to a sleek A4 perfect-bound format, improving readability and giving the publication a more premium feel. The new design creates a stronger editorial structure, making it easier for readers to navigate while giving the content the space and weight it deserves.
The result is a brand that looks as credible as it is, ready for the next chapter.
“For BMN’s 50th Anniversary rebrand, it was an obvious choice to work with Jamie and the team at Agency 53. From the start of the creative input to the finalised results, the team were engaged and full of ideas and helped everyone at the BMN team feel part of a thorough design process. We enjoyed the experience of working closely with them all and even when we were down to the wire on the project, we found them, highly communicative and supportive. We would greatly recommend Agency 53 as the leading design agency within our sector.”
LUCYANNE MATTHEWS
