The 200-year-old RSPCA, a UK animal welfare organization, not too long ago unveiled its new identification with the launch marketing campaign “For Every Kind.” JKR‘s London crew created the brand new identification, which includes a vibrant shade palette, flexibility to be used in digital areas, and an enthralling illustration fashion.
The new identification additionally options Wilberforce Sans, a customized typeface designed in collaboration with Studio DRAMA.
Studio DRAMA’s Chris Nott (artistic director) and Will Richardson (co-founder and artistic director) drew inspiration from the RSPCA’s historical past of activism, particularly protest signage within the organization’s archives. The typeface acquired its identify from this historical past: one in every of RSPCA’s founding members was the nice abolitionist William Wilberforce. Nott and Richardson additionally wished to invoke a special type of provenance— the nation’s Grotesque typographic custom. For Wilberforce Sans, the crew added a couple of distinctive deviations. Subtle stroke-weight contrasts ship a hand-drawn high quality, whereas ligatures embody togetherness and group.
Not eager to draw back from the model’s 200-year-old heritage, the bespoke font [designed in collaboration with Studio DRAMA] takes cues from protest placards discovered within the model’s archive, designed to essentially get everybody to affix the motion, and options echoes of the brand new illustration fashion.
Ellen Moriarity, Design Director, JKR
One of the extra attention-grabbing points of Wilberforce Sans is that it really works in live performance with the brand new identification’s illustrated animal iconography. The Studio DRAMA crew designed the typeface with smooth ink traps that join it to the accompanying animal icons, each visually and in its character.
Borrowing from the RSPCA’s old emblem, the “Octopunct” form surrounding the phrase mark has been turned into punctuation and containers for the animal illustrations.
I used to be curious to get Studio DRAMA’s perspective on this mission and extra. My quick Q&A with Chris Nott is beneath.
The RSPCA’s old model has developed from staid and considerably chilly right into a daring and pleasant identification. How does Wilberforce Sans assist the bigger model talk the urgency of the difficulty whereas additionally inviting folks in?
Type performs an important position in shaping a model’s voice, enabling it to speak successfully with various audiences. For the RSPCA, the problem for us was to craft a typeface that would convey each lighthearted and severe messaging, capturing the essence of their new positioning: ‘Rallying Humanity for Animals’.
The temporary led us to the idea of a ‘Trusted Authoritarian’ voice. To delve deeper into this, we explored the typographic nuances of hand-drawn and woodblock printed protest placards and posters. Given the RSPCA’s wealthy historical past of activism and advocacy for animal welfare, this path felt each pure and apt.
Our analysis into the RSPCA’s model archives revealed typefaces that had additionally been utilized in protest contexts. This connection enriched the model narrative, making a stronger hyperlink between the RSPCA’s historic activism and its present branding.
A key facet of our design strategy was establishing two distinct typographic voices.
The main voice for the core model identification is predominantly uppercase, reflecting the model’s daring, impactful, and pressing facet. We ensured that the uppercase letterforms exuded authority by means of their daring and condensed construction, reinforcing the model’s authoritative presence. Trustworthiness is conveyed by incorporating options impressed by the British grotesque fashion, equivalent to enclosed apertures and terminals. These traits not solely add a contact of playfulness to a inflexible construction but in addition resonate with the model’s severe but approachable tone. Additionally, the softer particulars, just like the ink traps, had been impressed by the brand new illustration fashion, additional infusing a extra approachable and cohesive really feel.
The secondary voice was designed to seize the lighter, extra human and approachable facet of the RSPCA. We developed a lowercase set that includes playful, almost ‘animal-like’ characters, such because the lowercase ‘g’.
This dualistic strategy permits the RSPCA to speak the gravity of animal welfare points whereas additionally inviting the general public to interact and join with their mission.
A key facet of our design strategy was establishing two distinct typographic voices. This dualistic strategy permits the RSPCA to speak the gravity of animal welfare points whereas additionally inviting the general public to interact and join with their mission.
Chris Nott, Creative Director, Studio DRAMA
In the previous couple of years, we’ve seen many centuries-old establishments undertake main rebranding efforts, lots of which lean closely on iconography and kind. Is this merely a pattern? Or is there one thing extra basic taking place across the position of establishments and types (or kind) in society?
Both Will and I’ve over a decade of expertise working in branding businesses. During this time, we’ve witnessed a major shift within the position of customized kind in branding, which led us to determine that it ought to be a core providing in our personal business.
We’d go as far to say that kind was typically thought-about an afterthought in branding tasks. However, it has now moved to the forefront, reflecting the evolving significance of typography in model identification.
In right now’s information-saturated panorama, manufacturers are striving to be extra distinctive and memorable. With the need to personal greater than only a emblem, the main focus has expanded to incorporate the very phrases they use. By crafting distinctive and recognisable typography, whether or not that’s by means of customized kind or an ownable typographic strategy, manufacturers can set up a robust identification that resonates even when the emblem is absent.
In this context, if a model can personal the very phrases by which they impart, making them distinctive sufficient to be recognisable with out the emblem, does it not grow to be a compelling technique to pursue?
Can you discuss your ethos as a accomplice foundry? How does this differentiate what Studio Drama does?
Both sides of the studio go hand-in-hand, complementing and enriching one another.
With a background in branding, we carry a strategic mindset to each customized typeface mission we undertake. We not solely design typefaces but in addition perceive how they need to be utilised. More typically than not, we help in creating pointers on the optimum use of the typeface, whether or not it’s a single fashion show font or a complete tremendous household.
On the studio facet, we goal to include some ingredient of customized kind, whether or not that’s a bespoke logotype or mark, or a full customized typeface household.
On the foundry facet, we carry our brand-first strategy to kind design, making certain that our customized typefaces will not be solely visually compelling but in addition strategically aligned and successfully utilised.
What’s your dream accomplice mission? Or, what are your favourite tasks you’ve executed on the foundry facet (apart from working with JKR on RSPCA, in fact!)?
When it involves dream tasks, that’s a tricky query! We’re at present within the midst of bringing one to life as we converse…
We thrive on collaboration, particularly with different businesses and artistic groups. This permits us to leverage our experience in kind design, invigorating and enhancing the broader model train. If any groups are looking out for a kind accomplice, simply drop us a line!
As for favorite tasks, Vogue Brasil undoubtedly stands out. It was a dream from begin to end, not solely due to the compelling temporary but in addition as a result of distinctive shopper relationship. This small however impactful mission has opened quite a few alternatives for us. It’s wonderful the doorways that kind can open!
