Culture · About us
Not making more, but choosing better.
Merkbaar™ is more than our name. It is what we believe: a brand that rings true is recognised before anyone explains it. Since 2005, from our studio in Apeldoorn.
For centuries, people have set a mark beneath what they believe in.
A symbol, a seal, a name. They show what someone stands for, without explanation. That is still how a strong brand works. In Japanese it is called Sonzaikan: presence by leaving only what rings true.
Culture
Sonzaikan.
Literally: the feeling of presence. Something that is there without asking for attention. That is what we look for in every brand.
- WeightA brand with mass does not need to shout.
- Leaving outWhat is not there strengthens what is.
- RecognitionYou see it, and you know at once whose it is.
Culture · 01 · Brand Foundation™
Ma.
Ma is the space between things. Not emptiness, but calm that gives meaning. That is where every brand begins for us: the core first, then the rest.
- CalmRoom to choose, before anything is designed.
- Taking awayUntil only what is true remains.
- Here tooPlenty of space, few words. You see it on every page.
Culture · 02 · Brand Design™
Hanko.
A hanko is a Japanese seal: a signature that says something is right. That is how we look at a logo. Not a means of explanation, but a signature beneath something that already stands.
- One markThe same everywhere, recognisable everywhere.
- A promiseWhat stands above it has to ring true.
- Our own sealSquare, with a point that falls outside the frame.
Culture · 03 · Brand Activation™
Tategaki.
Tategaki is Japanese writing from top to bottom. You read it in one movement. That is how a brand goes out into the world: in one line, from the core to the very last application.
- One lineCampaigns and content follow the same direction.
- RhythmRecognition comes from repetition, not volume.
- Here tooThe vertical labels on this site are tategaki.
Culture · 04 · Brand Platform™
Yokogaki.
Yokogaki is Japanese writing from left to right, the way we read. The script of every day. That is where a brand lands: on the website and in everything used day to day.
- ReadableClear for everyone who uses the brand.
- YoursEasy to manage yourself, without needing us.
- LastingMade to grow with you, not to age.
You talk to the maker. No account manager in between.
Clemens Beneder founded Merkbaar™ in 2005. He is at the table from the first introduction and stays there until the final delivery.
Working together is more than a relationship. It is a choice, made by both sides.
- 01Direction firstWe do not start with materials or quick fixes, but with the core.
- 02Straight talkingNo woolly marketing. We say what we see, even when that means less work for us.
- 03One point of contactYou talk to Clemens Beneder. We put the team together for each brand.
- 04Afterwards tooA brand is never finished. If you want, we stay involved.
We do not take your choices out of your hands. We do take on everything the craft demands.
One metal building. 47 windows.
Our studio is on the former Zwitsal site in Apeldoorn, in the only building made entirely of metal. Plenty of light, plenty of space. That is where brand and people come together.
