Case Study - United Way of Asheville - We Are One (Hundred) - Campaign Design
Brand Stage Consulting invited us to design the visual branding for the United Way of Asheville Buncombe County’s Next 100 Years campaign. We collaborated with Brand Stage’s Murphy Funkhouser Capps and UWABC’s marketing director Elisabeth Bocklet.
Being a values-led organization ourselves this project resonated with us in a real way. We immediately felt that we were all committed to making a difference as we plugged into the awesome team at United Way.
.
Together we developed a comprehensive brand package and style guide that needed to check a few boxes. It had to both honor the existing United Way style guidelines, reflect the local community and provide a clear brand for this individual campaign. This included:
Logo iterations for the campaign (horizontal and stacked versions in multiple colorways.)
An animated version of the logo.
Visual language (a systematic approach to the use of color and shape for their design team.)
Direction for photography and video.
Colors and typography.
Icon set.
Social media and digital asset templates.
Merch designs including hats, T-shirts, and a foam finger.
Billboard Designs.
Logo design for another program called United for Youth
Brand Stage had developed the language and tone and provided primary art direction on this project. We worked with them to ensure we developed a logo that was accessible and evoked the campaign DNA of centering equity, honoring the past, leading in the present, and creating a bold vision for a future where everyone belongs and everyone thrives. We needed a logo that communicated both the ideas of “we are one” and “we are 100”. The organization was simultaneously celebrating its centennial and also making a big audacious goal for the next 100 years centered on unity.
After exploring multiple ways of presenting the 100 in a way that clearly communicated both we landed on a version that utilized a pattern of three stripes to represent the past, present, and future. They are each of an increased length to suggest steps upward towards unity.
The three stripes are also present in each of the zeroes on 100 as a solution to the desire to create more contrast between them and the “1” while keeping a color palette that is ADA compliant. The stripes are also intended to evoke a sense of forward movement. The “WE ARE” text is nestled somewhat in serifs of the “1” to suggest support and care.
We went on to create photo and video guidelines to help direct creative partners on a consistent style and feel. Both stock photography and custom photography and video were sourced for this campaign.
Additionally, we created a visual language that we applied across the brand. Using this system of color, shape, typography, and imagery we created social media templates. The client’s internal marketing and design team can continue to generate new assets as needed. Often organizations need a temporary design boost for a specific project with the ability to carry things forward from there. We embed ourselves into the team and set them up with the guidance and tools to carry on. Learn more about United Way’s vision for the next 100 years at unitedwayabc.org/WeAreOne
