Who we are.
Neon is a small but perfectly formed branding and graphic design consultancy, founded by Creative Director Dana Robertson – who leads his trusted few in delivering beautifully thought-through and compelling work for our clients.
Over the years, we’ve also built up a network of regular collaborators, ranging from dazzling digital specialists to amazing animators, via cracking copywriters and phenomenal photographers.
So we’re never short of the talent and teamwork needed to take on any project, big or small, and however daunting the deadlines.
Profile: Dana Robertson
Creative Director, Brand Consultant and Founder of Neon
Dana started his career at Silk Pearce, before joining The Partners, then the UK’s number one creative consultancy. He stayed for six years, becoming Design Director, before leaving to take on a dual role as Senior Creative Director and board member of both Tango and Identica, where he worked for four years for Michael Peters.
Experience
Dana has over 20 years’ experience in brand building; specialising in brand strategy, brand identity and communications design and advertising. He is a seasoned creative leader, thinker and speaker as well as a regular board level consultant and presenter.
From not-so-boring banks and far-from-stuffy law firms, through mind-bogglingly complex research companies, to the most opulent of luxury brands, Dana has enjoyed working for clients pretty much across the board. His career has been varied in terms of opportunities to work across different media and types of project, ranging from branded environments to street events, packaging to all forms of online marketing.
3i | Action for Children | Acumin | Added Value | Amec Foster Wheeler | Amlin | Anglo American | Ararat | Arjo Wiggins Freshfields | Baltica Beer | The Bench| Benchpeg | Bluewater | Boots | The British Heart Foundation | Bulter & Parker| Captain Morgan | Captain Morgan Tattoo | Clarion Wealth Management | Clifford Chance | CMS | Corney & Barrow | The Contemporary British Silversmiths | Coutts | D&AD | Dance East | De Beers | Des Jardins | The Design Council | Diageo | Dunnhumby | Eidos | Engage for Change | Flagman | Ford | The Futures Company | GAM | GB Wines | Gem-A | GEMS Education | Global Teacher Prize, The Varkey Foundation | The Goldsmiths’ Centre | The Goldsmiths’ Company | Harrods | Jaguar Racing F1 | JP Morgan Fleming Asset Management | Julius Baer Group | Kantar | Kantar Worldpanel | Khortisa | Lane4 | Landsbanky | Lendlease | Leap | Lizzy Yarnold | Lotus Shoes | Moody’s | Morgan Spiced | NatWest | Nabarro | Nestle | Nike | Ocean Spray | Patek Philippe | The Place | Penhaligon’s | Red Snapper Group | The Rainforest Foundation | Rigla | Royal Mail | Russian Standard | Serimax | Smirnov | Sobin Bank | Sports Authority | Tanner Krolle | Thames & Hudson | Travelex | UK Sport | Valentine Yudashkin | Vertu | WPP
Dana is a Fellow of the RSA, a regular visiting lecturer, and a member of D&AD, whose international creative awards he has also been invited to judge.
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David Stuart
Dana Robertson is an exceptional designer. I know that because after founding The Partners in 1983 I have overseen and mentored what I suspect must be a thousand or so young designers. I would only describe a handful as exceptional.
His design analysis is spot on. He is very perceptive, and can get to the heart of the distinguishing characteristics of a company. This ultimately provides the final solution and ensures that the result is unique.
Dana has experience in handling extremely large and also very small projects. He devotes his creativity and talent to both equally because he wants to make a small identity as efficient and remarkable as the largest PLC. I found his self-belief, commitment and drive really impressive.
The other quality he has, which sadly a lot of designers lack, are his personal communication skills, charm and good humour. This ensures even a long running and complicated job is a comfortable one. He is incredibly calm even when things are at their most frenetic.
I am often asked to recommend individual designers, invariably it’s Dana.
DAVID STUART
Founder and Executive Creative Director
The Partners
President D&AD 2001 -
Michael Peters
In a world where design is treated by some as a commodity, it is refreshing to discover an emerging star that can lift the perception of what design is, what it represents and how it can become a very strong commercial tool. It is rare to discover a talent that can embrace the detail and apply that to wider horizons.
Dana Robertson is such an individual. He has emerged from famed and spirited academies of design and branding agencies to create Neon — a new generation of design and design thinking where his experience and leadership qualities enhance his potential for him to become one of the creative luminaries in the world of design and innovation.
Neon is both a noun and an adjective — it describes a brightness in a world of mediocrity. Neon will shine brightly to become one of the most exciting design and branding talents to emerge over the next few years. Whilst not as good as Michael Peters, they’re good second runners! I endorse Dana and his team’s talents with pride and enthusiasm.
MICHAEL PETERS
Founder, Chairman and Executive Creative Director
Identica -
Thierry de Ridder
When you work at Nike you always look for the unexpected answer to your brief. Thanks to Dana’s vision, creativity and passion for the brand, Nike kept a great feeling with the work provided under Dana’s supervision. More than 75 pan European campaigns later the energy and creativity remained the same. Not easy. Many thanks for it all and in the name of Nike but also Foot Locker. Our confidence never failed. Good luck for your future project Neon. It can only go in the right direction.
THIERRY DE RIDDER
Head of Brand Communication
Strategic Account Marketing
Nike Europe
