OMV Petrom: sunny side up for Romanian lovebrand

First prototypes built in Bucharest and Buzău/ Roll-out for 400 stations in network to be started/ Co-branding with MyAuchan.

After a two-year development phase, the new Petrom filling station design has been unveiled in two Romanian cities. Syndicate Design has developed an integrated design concepts that aims at attracting young Romanian families while preserving brand equities of an iconic “national” Romanian brand. Being under pressure by peer competitors and due to the recent co-operation with Auchan for the MyAuchan shop business a valid co-branding approach for the new filling station design had to be explored.

“Together for Romania”

Petrom as a national champion is part the OMV Petrom Group and one of the leading brands in Romania with an unrivalled “value for money” perception in downstream oil business. While modernizing the look & feel on-site at the filling stations and keeping up with the needs of the young Romanian generation, the brand stays true, cheerful and close to its core target audiences. Together for Romania – this drives the brand at every point of touch.

The creative idea “sunny side up” has been driving the entire design process. Making the customer experience more welcoming, warmer and friendlier has led to a re-design of the forecourt – totem, canopy, pump islands – and to a retrofit of the car wash facilities. In addition, a modular and efficient co-branding system with MyAuchan had to be defined along the whole customer journey obviously with focus on the shop exterior.

The fusion of trademark and modern

Constructional elements with relevance for branding and signalisation have been re-worked with a memorable diagonal shape language making the brand more self-confident and differentiated in its competitive environment. A warmer yellow colour tone helps to design the appearance and atmosphere on the forecourt friendlier. An optimised lighting concept, clear price communications, a “fast lane” allowing card payments, and a modern integration of functional elements around the pump islands drives convenience on-site.An updated corporate design citing the new diagonal layout system and the new, rounded Karbon typography are meant to spruce up Petrom communications. While sticking to the iconic “draco” brand mark, the yellow, blue and red colour coding underpins the link to the national brand heritage. New dresses for the filling station staff at the 400 outlets round up this careful, but integrated re-design of an Eastern European love brand.