A big month of charity rebrands.

What a month it’s been for keen observers of charity branding!

3 big charities launched their new brands, and as always it's been as fascinating to see the new assets as it is to see the launch strategies.

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Barnardo's came first - bold, punchy, just as I like it! Delivered by the fantastic The Clearing .

I’m already familiar with Barnardo’s after delivering their fundraising proposition while at Studio Texture ‘Change a childhood. Change a life.’ So it was brilliant to see that work and all the insight that went behind it, integrated into this new brand identity.

Reading the case study on The Clearing’s website – all the signs were there for a wonderful project. Co-creation, big ideas, young people's experiences.

“We co-created the brand with kids using Barnardo’s services. We gave them paints, pens and coloured paper to express things they’ve been going through and how it made them feel."

This extra effort to engage with children, is what makes this project so interesting. It has a quirky authenticity you only get when something is real. So well done all the brilliant team at Barnardo's and The Clearing.

Their launch strategy was handled sensitively and openly. Clear and unapologetic about the spend, and the potential benefit from doing the work.?

"This included ￡185,000 on an initial research phase, involving children and young people, and ￡55,000 on the creative delivery. This is an important investment in the future of Barnardo’s and means we’ll be able to reach younger and more diverse audiences."

I applaud Barnardo's approach here, and it also helps manage expectations about the cost of brand for other charities. For a charity of their scale, their significance, their complexity, this level of budget is important.?

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Next up was RSPCA . Delivered by Jones Knowles Ritchie . I love this project and its lively new identity and website. And I've noticed I'm referencing it a lot in conversations?– people are talking about it! I can see the intention at its heart – shifting from a rigid, authoritarian brand, into a lively, engaging, modern charity, while keeping a nod to its heritage. That shift alone, I imagine will work wonders for them.

The part I was perhaps less convinced by, was the proposition 'For Every Kind.' It feels like one of those lines that could be relevant to many charities. I'm not sure what to do with the idea they're for every kind of animal. Were they not before? That said, I know how much insight and rigour will have gone into it, so I'm sure it serves a specific purpose. And I like the sense of kindness being attached to animal welfare.

All in all, very much one of my favourite rebrands for a while.

Launch comms were less bold than Barnardo's, without a budget reveal. But the case for brand investment and its connection to income generation was clear. It's a hard one to argue with.

"RSPCA has rebranded for the first time in 50 years, after financial modelling suggested it could lose significant income if no change was made. The costs were “less than 1% of our annual animal welfare operations”, with profits from the sale of its headquarters in Southwater going towards it."

If you're nervous about how donors might react to investment in brand, this is their perfect way to do it.

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Last up, Pancreatic Cancer UK , delivered by the GOOD Agency . Possibly the less idiosyncratic of the three rebrands, but there is beauty and calmness to this new identity that appeals to me. This is a tough condition to be diagnosed with, and the sensitivity of this new brand fits that context well. A softness offset by the boldness of their primary colour gives them plenty of flex and creative opportunity. The proposition: Hope is not enough, plays on the sense of underdog about the condition. And you really do feel this strongly in the stats:

"In the UK, it receives just 3% of the total cancer research budget. As a result, it’s still too difficult to diagnose, too tough to treat, and has the lowest survival rate of all common cancers."

I do wonder if the logo idea will have the memorability they will need in a crowded cancer space, but time will tell. But some of the visual expressions are a lot of fun. Great job all round.

Their launch strategy is another honest conversation with their audience, which I love.?

"The total cost of developing the brand was around ￡85,000."

Their CEO gives a show stopper quote, making it genuinely hard to argue against the investment.

“For 50 years the deadliest common cancer has been left behind, overlooked, and underfunded leaving people with pancreatic cancer and their families with little more than hope to hold on to."

It makes you think – how could we possibly live without these wonderful charities? And you realise – we literally couldn't.