Ignite Design: The Chase

“There was an old Indian craftsmen who carved beautiful little elephants from unpromising blocks of timber. Asked how he did it, he simply replied: ‘I just cut away the wood that doesn’t look like an elephant.’”

This has been the doctrine of The Chase for over thirty years. They will cut away anything that has no purpose. The Chase is a graphic design and branding consultancy, founded in 1986 by Ben Casey and Lionel Hatch. It now has studios in London, Manchester and Preston.

I think the work they do is both innovative and sophisticated. One thing they have done that particularly interested me was the company’s first mailer, which was based on the quote about the Indian wooden elephant. The quote was first heard by one of the founders on the radio, who felt it represented the agencies creative process and doctrine. They designed a mailer which included a little carved wooden elephant. It proved worth it as it got them a lot of attention and work, as well as gaining them their first award. I think this really proves the importance of promoting oneself and networking.