Sustana: an outstanding case of brand transformation and strategic design in the era of clean materials
Each week, we spotlight an exceptional project from the world of design, strategy, and branding. Today, we’re featuring one of the most significant international case studies:
Sustana, the complete reinvention of a historic paper company that, through a comprehensive business strategy and flawlessly executed visual identity, has transformed from a declining business into a global benchmark in the clean materials sector.
This project, developed by COLLINS in collaboration with various teams and partners, is a perfect example of how the combination of
strategic branding, brand consultancy, and professional graphic design can redefine the future of an entire organization. It’s a must-read for any
branding agency in Barcelona, design studio, or industry professional seeking to understand how design can go beyond aesthetics to become a true driver of business.
An industry in crisis in need of a new vision
For years, Rolland—a Canadian paper company with over 140 years of history—faced the same challenges as much of the industry:
declining demand, high operating costs, shrinking markets, and negative public perception.
The paper industry has been in decline for over a decade, becoming one of North America’s most polluting sectors and suffering ongoing bankruptcies and closures.
In this context, any traditional branding approach would have fallen short. The challenge wasn’t just to change a logo, update the tone of voice, or launch a campaign.
The real challenge was to redefine the business itself. To understand what true value Rolland could offer the world when its core product—paper—was losing cultural, economic, and ecological relevance.
This is where a strategic perspective makes all the difference. COLLINS realized something crucial:
Rolland wasn’t just a paper company. It was, unknowingly, a clean materials company.
The key insight: Rolland was already meeting “clean materials” standards
Alongside the energy transition, we are witnessing another equally profound revolution: the materials transition.
So-called dirty materials—highly polluting substances—account for over 50% of global emissions and countless other environmental harms.
Conventional paper is part of that group.
However, Rolland was already operating under radically different standards:
- Recycling 100% of the water it used.
- Sourcing 93% of its energy from biogas, reducing CO₂ emissions by 70,000 tons per year.
- Using nine times less water than the industry average.
- Processing 2.2 million pounds of paper waste daily as raw material.
- Running a recycling process so clean it was certified as food safe.
Rolland wasn’t a company stuck in the past; it was, in fact, ahead of its time. Its problem wasn’t its operations, but its story.
The brand was telling the wrong narrative: that of an old paper mill in decline, not an innovator in sustainable solutions.
Sustana: a new name for a new value proposition
Based on this analysis, the COLLINS team completely redefined the business’s core.
Rolland was reborn as Sustana, a brand with a clear purpose:
“Adding sustainability to everyday products.”
This name and narrative change wasn’t just cosmetic—it was strategic. Sustana not only sounds more contemporary, clean, and global, but it also instantly communicates the positioning the business had never fully leveraged.
This is a crucial lesson for any graphic design studio or consultancy working on high-impact rebrands:
visual identity must be rooted in a deep business truth.
Design alone can’t revive brands. Design aligned with a sharp strategy can.
A visual redesign aligned with purpose
Sustana’s new visual identity is built on clarity, sustainability, and modernity.
COLLINS developed a comprehensive and highly functional visual system that includes:
- A balanced interplay between industrial structure and natural aesthetics.
- A new color palette inspired by clean materials and circular processes.
- An honest, minimalist photographic style highlighting processes, people, and textures.
- A custom typeface by Sharp Type—modern, with almost surgical precision.
- A modular system adaptable to packaging, corporate presentations, reports, web, and retail.
The identity embodies the essence of sustainable, contemporary, and strategic branding.
It’s not meant to be decorative—it’s designed to be useful, educational, and persuasive. Its mission is to help Sustana explain what it does, how it does it, and why it stands apart from every other company in its field.
A standout example of corporate rebranding with real impact
Following the launch of the new brand, Sustana achieved measurable milestones:
- Expanded target market: the clean materials sector is 4.5 times larger than the paper market.
- New strategic partnerships with major brands seeking sustainable ingredients.
- Acquisition of Hanna, one of North America’s largest paper recyclers.
- Radical differentiation in a saturated, stagnant industry.
This proves something we always emphasize in our studio:
branding isn’t an expense—it’s a strategic investment that transforms perception, business, and growth potential.
Key takeaways for agencies and design professionals
The Sustana project offers valuable lessons for any
branding agency in Barcelona, strategic consultancy, or design studio aiming to build purposeful brands:
- Analyze the business before you design: the key to success was uncovering Rolland’s true nature.
- Branding should reflect the value model, not just an aesthetic.
- A powerful visual identity is born from purpose, not trends.
- Professional graphic design multiplies impact when it serves a clear strategy.
- Rebranding can—and should—transform entire businesses.
Conclusion: Sustana as a global benchmark for impact-driven design
Sustana is more than just a standout graphic design case:
it’s a demonstration of how strategic branding can redefine the future of an entire industry.
It embodies what we call purpose-driven design, where aesthetics, strategy, and environmental impact are all aligned.
For those of us working to build strong identities and drive transformation,
Sustana is a reminder that design isn’t just about how a brand looks—it’s about how it changes the world around it.
And that is, without a doubt, the kind of branding that deserves recognition.