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Materials manufacturer, GF Smith, has seen boosted views and likes in the year since its full rebrand which included a new logo, website, and brand philosophy
Materials manufacturer, GF Smith, has seen a significant boost in its social media presence in the year following its full rebrand, with one of its recent videos gaining millions of views.
GF Smith unveiled a rebrand designed by communications agency, Templo, almost exactly 12 months ago in January 2025. The rebrand included a new logo with a “smiley face” design, a vibrant new colour scheme, and a refreshed brand philosophy that the company said better reflected its values and role in the contemporary creative landscape.
The rebrand initially received mixed reactions from the print and design industries, with many people making their opinions known on social media. Some suggested that the new logo looked “unprofessional” or “childish”, with some even suggesting that it risked cheapening the GF Smith brand.
However, since the rebrand and the subsequent revamp of its social media output, the paper company has seen a significant uptick in engagement and followers. The company now has over 139,000 followers on Instagram, with many of its posts receiving thousands of likes.
The materials supplier has released a variety of videos since the rebrand, with a mix of animated shorts, clips of its materials being utilised in design projects, and a number of interview clips.
One of its most recent videos, made in collaboration with Pureprint Group, is currently sitting on over four million views as of time of writing, with over 47,000 likes.
The video demonstrates the construction of colourful sleeves to house swatches of GF Smith’s Geltex range, a tactile paper range designed for book covers, box wraps, and luxury packaging.
The sleeves are constructed using GF Smith’s Colorplan materials and were printed by Pureprint. The Colorplan range was itself recently reimagined to include more colours, finishes, and weights.
The swatch sleeve is finished off with a perforated sticker, which is designed to break when opening the sleeve without damaging the outer box.
The text accompanying the post says: “Our Geltex swatch sleeves are made from Colorplan – strong enough to protect, colourful enough to stand out, and tactile enough to remind you why paper matters.
“What better way to start the year than with some satisfying production BTS?”
‘Satisfying’ craft videos have gained particular viral momentum in recent years, with their popularity attributed to their broad, universal appeal and ability to succinctly demonstrate how products are designed and made.
The post has also received a number of comments since going live. One comment from user ‘philthblake’ says: “Still remember getting GF Smith samples in college, the excitement was real.”
Another from user ‘brandsbyconnie’ adds: “This was so interesting! I loved watching the process.”
GF Smith first announced the addition of the Geltex range in September 2025, as part of a deal with the Fedrigoni Group which also saw it become the UK supplier of four of Fedrigoni Group’s coloured paper brand ranges – Sirio, Woodstock, Materica, and Imitlin.
