Rebranding
the experience of buying a car

Brand Identity & Graphic Design

Donnelly Automotive Group is a prominent dealership group that sought to revolutionize the car-buying experience by introducing a simplified, transparent pricing strategy. The aim was to remove the stress of negotiation for customers and position the Donnelly Group as a leader in customer-centric, hassle-free car buying. The new pricing model, which offers a single dynamic price for all cars, required comprehensive branding and messaging across multiple channels to ensure a smooth transition and market impact.

The Challenge

  • Staying brand-neutral without feeling generic: The identity had to coexist with Kia, Mitsubishi, and Ford branding across dealership floors, rather than compete with them while still being memorable and consistent on its own.
  • Countering the “pushy salesman” stereotype: The program’s whole premise was a better buying experience. The brand needed to visually signal trust, friendliness, and ease from the first impression, the opposite of typical high-pressure dealership marketing.
  • Working across physical and digital, one-off and ongoing: The identity needed to flex from static in-store signage to printed collateral to merch to ongoing monthly social and video content without losing cohesion.

The Process

Brand Identity Development 

Designed the Donnelly ONE logo and full brand identity system from the ground up.

The logo was designed with focus on the client experience and their emotion with the shopping experience. Smiling and satisfied customers: A symbol of happiness in shopping experiences is the sight of customers with genuine smiles, indicating their satisfaction and enjoyment while shopping. It represents that they found what they were looking for and had a pleasant experience.

Iconography Development 

Building on the logo’s central “smile” motif, I developed a broader iconography system, a set of smile variations, each with its own character and tone, designed to complement the primary mark while giving the brand more visual range. Rather than relying on the logo alone, this expanded icon set could be used flexibly across collateral, from print materials to digital assets, giving each application its own personality while staying rooted in the same friendly, human visual language. This system became the foundation for extending the brand into motion, most notably in the custom animated logos for the video content series, where the smile motif came to life as a recognizable, ownable piece of the Donnelly ONE identity.

Marketing Collateral & Ongoing Content Leadership 

Beyond the initial identity work, I led the graphic design and development of the full suite of marketing collateral and physical assets that brought the brand into the dealership environment, from in-store materials and printed posters to sales floor banners and branded merch like keychains, balloons, and staff clothing. As Donnelly became a retained client, this role expanded into an ongoing partnership: I led the design of their monthly social media content across multiple platforms, producing both static designs and motion/video content, ensuring the brand stayed consistent and current as it grew from a one-time launch into a long-term, evolving presence.

The Outcome

The launch of the Donnelly ONE pricing model was a major success, helping the dealership attract a new wave of customers who valued the simplified, transparent car-buying process. Key outcomes included:

  • Increased Brand Differentiation: Donnelly ONE was able to stand out in a crowded market by offering something no other dealership in the area did: one dynamic, non-negotiable price for all vehicles.
  • Consistent Brand Presence: The cohesive visual identity and messaging ensured that customers received the same message across every channel, from digital ads to in-store experiences.
  • Higher Customer Satisfaction: Customer feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many praising the straightforward pricing model and stress-free experience. This contributed to a significant boost in customer retention and referrals.
  • Boosted Digital Engagement: The digital marketing strategy led to increased traffic to the Donnelly ONE website, higher engagement on social media platforms, and more inquiries generated through search engine marketing.