A year in charity branding 2021

How time flies. It’s time for my annual round-up of charity branding.

There was a point where I though the pandemic would dampen the spirit of charity branding. Projects were put on hold. Briefs were scarce. But the last year has been a great one. Just like any other. Possibly even better.

At the start of the year Macmillan Cancer Support sprang back onto the scene with their brand personality Compassionate Warriors and award-winning campaign Whatever It Takes.

The brand has certainly been through ‘a journey’. One of the first to evoke the attributes of a social movement with “We Are Macmillan”, I felt it had become more corporate in nature as time went on. But this campaign certainly gives it the heart and soul it deserves. Bold. Emotive. Impactful. Well done to everyone involved. Especially to Emma Guise who did a great job of promoting the work across the marketing press.

In March, Creative Review posed the question How to create a charity. With the people behind suicide prevention charity CALM launching a new helpline aimed at supporting women and girls called Pauline.

CALM underwent its own brand refresh in September. It’s bullish and irreverent. But a bit brash for me to feel empathetic and well, calm.

I never thought I’d see a bowel inspired typeface, but that’s what happened in April when the bowel cancer charity for young people Never Too Young unveiled a new brand and typeface named after the founder. An inspiring collaboration between patients and creatives.

In May we had three big charity brand projects land in a trot, Mind, Shelter and Stonewall. All involved big agencies, Design Studio, SuperUnion and JKR. All reinvigorated their brands’ activist roots with bold colours and typography.

Fighting talk has spread across the sector over the last decade and is present here again with Mind and Shelter. As I said in my blog, The changing face of charity branding, I think it is more appropriate for a brand with activist roots. But I urge charity brands to strive for greater differentiation and to seek inspiration from outside the sector to stop them becoming too similar in nature.

I was delighted to facilitate the pitch process to appoint Design Studio, bringing the best in commercial design to the charity sector, having worked with Mind for the second time around. You can read why the Mind project means so much to me here, as the defining cause of my generation.

As many of you will know, I kick-started my career in charity branding as Shelter’s first brand manager. So I was pleased their new identity gives a respectful nod to the iconic red roof.

Then having worked at Sydney Mardi Gras in my youth, I am pleased to see Stonewall with a more colourful identity to reflect the diversity of its community.

Formed in 1989, Stonewall campaigns for equality in the eyes of the law. It has succeeded again and again from adoption to the age of consent and gay marriage. Today it is mostly associated with trans rights. A heated debate which has seen the Stonewall brand face scrutiny in the press this year, as the BBC, Media watchdog Ofcom, the Equality Human Rights Commission and the government's Cabinet Office, Equalities Office and Ministry of Justice have pulled out of its Diversity Champions employers scheme.

Much like the National Trust hitting the headlines throughout the year for its ‘war on woke’. Both demonstrating the impact PR continues to have on brand trust and reputation.

Of course, developing a brand is one thing, activating it is quite another. Two campaigns grabbed my attention in May. Whilst some charities focus on care, others focus on cure. But I like the way Alzheimer’s Society turned this on its head with its Cure the Care System campaign. A well-integrated campaign with hero content at its heart.

In the same month Greenpeace proved Purpose can have humour by burying Boris in rubbish to raise awareness of plastic pollution. Demonstrating the impact of stand-out content.

My good frenemies at Spencer Du Bois added some sparkle to the summer with their visual identity for Starlight Children’s Foundation. Then they captured the zeitgeist this autumn with their timely brand refresh for NHS Charities Together centred around a beating heart.

Along came the Third Sector Awards in September with one of the strongest brand categories in years. With Blood Cancer UK, RNID, Marine Conservation Society, RSA, Rainbow Migration and Held in Our Hearts. But it was Rewilding Britain who took the crown. Credit where credit is due, this rebrand made me want to crowd surf in my wellies! Well done to Hillary Cross, Owen Hughes and everyone involved.

I was happy to see my own work with RNID and SomeOne London acknowledged, but also delighted to see Studio Texture recognised. A young agency delivering great work and going places. We’re currently collaborating on something special for The Big Give, which we can’t wait to share next year.

In October Cruse Bereavement Care became Cruse Bereavement Support (/) to better reflect what they do. It has been an honour to play my part in refreshing a brand at such a poignant point of its history. To help more people through one of the most painful times of life.

Driven by new values of Kind, Genuine, Inclusive and Ambitious, Red Stone created a highly inclusive visual identity. It was important that the identity had a human touch, and so a logotype was created using a handwritten font aptly called Better Times.?

One of my favourite parts is a series of abstract shapes. They convey the idea that we experience different emotions, thoughts and feelings through bereavement. There is no linear process, or one size fits all solution. Everybody is different and entitled to support.?

In November COP26 came to Glasgow, which coincided with B-Corp Raw London’s CSR initiative to offer ￡20,000 worth of content strategy and production to a small charity partner each year.?This year’s partner was the Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC). Starring Game of Thrones star and WDC patron, Jerome Flynn, the beautiful film repositions whales as important partners in tackling the most pressing issue of our time – and renews their role as symbols of hope and inspiration in conservation.?

November also saw a surprising battle between red and white poppies. Leeds University became one of the largest institutions to officially adopt the white poppy for Remembrance Day, prompting concern among veterans who fear the devaluing of the traditional red poppy as a symbol of the fallen. The white poppy reflects a 'commitment to peace’ and demonstrates the ongoing importance of symbolism in charity branding.

In early December, Good Agency produced the first ever Braille newspaper front page with RNIB, who believe the world should be accessible to everyone. A great piece of tactical media buying, which more charities could learn from.

Then creeping in as I put this blog to bed conservation charity On The Edge fused nature with technology for a new brand featuring elements inspired by natural species, including an icon inspired by an endangered tree frog.

I’ve had a busy year and am grateful for every opportunity. From Breaking Barriers to Crann Centre in Ireland, Compassion in Dying, Cystic Fibrosis Trust, Plan International UK, Thames Valley Air Ambulance, NCVO and Mind. A huge thank you to my trusted partners and collaborators. I couldn’t do it without your expertise and inspiration.

I’ve also just started an exciting project with Fauna and Flora International, so am really looking forward to focussing on branding nature conservation next year. It’s the perfect brand brief for me right now.

It was also time for me to wave a fond farewell to CharityComms Brand Breakfasts. They’ve been a huge part of my career over the last decade, but you know in your heart when it’s time to move on. To make way for more diverse voices and to enable me to focus on my new life on Trenewth Farm and for my brand clients and lecturing.

As we approach a new year, it appears a lot of people are contemplating how to create and activate a brand strategy, which has seen me share this old blog post a lot recently. I’ve also updated my website with new case studies and links to all my branding blogs in one place, so for more theory and best practice head on over.

So as the sun sets on a challenging year, take comfort in the strength of charity branding. Here’s to more bravery ahead. Keep your head up and your heart strong. Onwards.

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