Bas (Sebastian) van der Paardt is a designer and brand strategist with over 25 years of experience in marketing, branding, and digital innovation for brands such as Orange, Jumbo, Nike, Rabobank, and Schiphol Group.
As a “brand builder,” Bas helps established brands and startups find or refine their positioning, story, and visual identity. He connects them to current culture through marketing advice and creative concepts. Bas also teaches at the Weekendschool, facilitates workshops with the international ‘brand the change’ community, and volunteers as a kitchen aid at Resto van Harte from time to time. Over 20 professional awards (ADCN Awards, Effies, etc.) adorn his mantelpiece.
Some of his projects include:
- Raising awareness of the Red Cross through large-scale music events (3FM serious request)
- Transformation of a group of local agricultural schools into the largest green education institute in the EU (Wellantcollege)
- Public environmental campaigns for the Dutch government (Ministry of VROM): ‘The Netherlands is small, think big’.
- Brand assets for Councyl.ai, a startup about AI-powered decision-making.
- A visual identity for the world’s first ‘decentralized’ beer using blockchain technology’ (Copernicusbeer.xyz)
When he’s not at his computer, this boomer likes to go sailing, draw, or take early morning walks with Alba, the family dog.
What can he do for clients?
“I am at my best when clients make the conscious decision to make a difference. This is essential when companies want or need to reconsider their competitive position, reposition their organization when they see opportunities, or when threats need to be parried. I am concrete and results-oriented, and this is what we (I prefer to co-create) will generally do for you:
- Attract new customers
- Prove more value to existing customers
- Make your brand operations function more effectively.
With our methodology, insights, and creativity, we can improve the ‘customer experience‘ of your brand. And even though ‘experience’ is a somewhat pompous buzzword, we think that consciously and structurally working on an integrated, recognizable, and distinctive experience is a good idea for most brands and organizations. Not only because we enjoy doing this – I sure do – but mainly because making your customer happy is perhaps the most successful business strategy you can pursue as an entrepreneur.
Which customer you can best make happy, how, where, and when; that’s what he would like to help you with.”
“Once in a while, as an organization you can think about (re)profiling and how to shape that. Bas took us through that process. The bar was high, we went for it. With pleasure. It has become the benchmark for all green education in the Netherlands.”
Willy Vogels – Wellantcollege