WMH&I
Design company in London, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
WMH&I (an acronym of Williams Murray Hamm & Identica), formerly known as Williams Murray Hamm (WMH), is a British brand innovation, design, and strategy agency based in London.
History
Williams Murray Hamm (WMH) was founded in 1997 by Richard Williams and Richard Murray.[1] Garrick Hamm joined the firm a year later.[2] WMH was acquired in 2006 by Loewy Group, a business that was itself acquired by Writtle Holdings in 2011.[3][4]
Richard Murray died in 2010.[5] Wybe Magermans was appointed to the board in 2016 and became the agency's Managing Director in 2019.[6]
In 2021, WMH merged with Identica, another design and branding agency, to form WMH&I.[7] Following the retirement of Richard Williams in 2016 [8] and Garrick Hamm in 2021[9], Daisy Benn was appointed to the board[10], and promoted to Managing Director in 2023 with Mark Nichols joining the Benn and Magermans on the board as Creative Director in 2023[11].
In June 2024, WMH&I become a B-Corp Certified company.[12]
Work and accolades
WMH's work in Fast-moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) packaging for GSK's Horlicks,[13] Hovis,[14] McVitie's Jaffa Cakes[15] and Sainsbury's SO organics[16][17] and Sainsbury's Basics[18][19] led to the business being named Design Agency of the Year by Marketing Magazine in 2002 and 2004.[20]
WMH has won DBA Design Effectiveness Awards for its work on Here Organics, Sainsbury's SO organic,[21][22] Wild Brew (which also won a D&AD yellow pencil),[23][24] while Hovis and Clipper Teas won the DBA Design Effectiveness Grand Prix in 2002 and 2004 respectively.[25][26]
Other work includes 2003's redesign of the Barclays Bank identity,[27] 2004's relaunch for Fortnum & Mason,[28] via a brand book and repackaging exercise. The company has maintained an eight-year relationship with Syngenta, the Swiss agrochemicals business.[29] Other WMH clients include Beazley,[30] Way to Blue[31] and Jamie Oliver's store Recipease venture,[32] Burger delivery start-up Chosen Bun,[33] Magic Me,[34] JuiceBurst (Purity Soft Drinks),[35] Syngenta,[36] charity Ella's Home,.[37]
More recent work includes the launch of Waitrose & Partners Free From range of foods, creation of completely new container shipping company, Ocean Network Express (ONE), and USA-based food producer Lamb Weston.[38]
In 2015, the agency was awarded the top prize at The Drum's inaugural Dream Awards[39] and gold at the Fresh Awards[40] for its packaging design for UK erotica brand Coco de Mer.[41] Additionally, WMH won gold in the body category at the celebrated Pentawards[42] for its work with beauty brand Prismologie.[43]
2016 saw WMH's return to win gold at the Design Effectiveness Awards (Design Business Association) for their interactive brand design work with JuiceBurst (Purity Soft Drinks).[44] The award-winning continued for its brand identity and packaging work for Coco de Mer winning the coveted D&AD Yellow Pencil Award,[45] the Drum Design Award,[46] Design Week Award (Package Design Category)[47] and Creative Review Annual where it was awarded 'Best in Book: Design'.[48]
Led by Benn, Magermans and Nichols, the agency’s approach is centred on the 'power of creativity' in shaping brand identity and communication[49]. This has led to well received work for the likes of GameStop with the creation of Candy Con[50][51], Vetoquinol and its Drontal brand[52], London professional dominatrix Jane Grey[53][54], Redbreast whiskey rebrand for Pernod Ricard, and pro bono work to raise awareness of Ehler-Danlos Syndroms[55][56].
In 2025, the agency also was recognised for the changes it made to internal culture and won Best Agency to Work For at Creativepool [57].