Benevolent Society by Designworks Australia

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CLIENT

Aus­trali­a’s largest and old­est char­i­ty is a not-for-prof­it, non-reli­gious orga­ni­za­tion. Its mis­sion is to sup­port and advo­cate for per­son­al and soci­etal change to cre­ate a fair soci­ety where every­body thrives. The audi­ence con­sists of the finan­cial partners—those orga­ni­za­tions it works with to deliv­er its mission—and the public.

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BRIEF

Benev­o­lent Soci­ety was turn­ing 200 years old and asked Design­works to make them rel­e­vant in today’s mar­ket. The chal­lenge was align­ing a broad group of stakeholders—each with long and var­ied Benev­o­lent Soci­ety relationships—around one com­mon pur­pose. And all in a way that mod­ern­ized the brand. Fol­low­ing an exten­sive strate­gic devel­op­ment phase that includ­ed work­shops, con­sumer research, online analy­sis, and stake­hold­er engage­ment, the sin­gle uni­fy­ing idea we cre­at­ed was Strong Together. 

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APPROACH

Strong Togeth­er was the brief and Strong Togeth­er was the solu­tion. The join­ing let­ters rep­re­sent the strength gained by work­ing togeth­er, and the inter­sec­tions point to the change that can occur through this strength. A broad col­or spec­trum was used to rep­re­sent the under­ly­ing brand pil­lars of hope, strength, love, wis­dom, and belong­ing. These cre­at­ed a bright and pos­i­tive col­or expres­sion. Super graph­ics were cre­at­ed to help car­ry the col­or and cre­ate a bold, impact­ful iden­ti­ty. The result was a 200-year-old char­i­ty that was rel­e­vant again in 2013, as well as it rein­vig­o­rat­ed staff and stakeholders.

With an underperforming brand, diverse offerings and a 200th birthday fast approaching, the challenge was to create a clear, cut-through identity. A collaborative, six-month strategic brand review explored name, architecture, print and digital materials, and products. The result is a dynamic new vision and creative expression which successfully captures and communicates Benevolent Society’s breadth, passion, and relevance. We are a catalyst for positive change in people’s lives and in society. We’re about connecting people, families, and communities. We believe our new brand identity brings this philosophy to life and is driving the transformation of our organization, both inside and out. — Anne Hollonds, CEO of Benevolent Society