Restless development

Picture the scene.
You’re Student Partnership Worldwide. 20 years ago you were a little organization helping graduates do some good after university. Now you’re one of the largest youth-led development agencies in the world. It’s time to refresh your brand to reflect that.

Here’s the thing, though. You’re still a youth organization run by young people and proud of it. But you need to be taken seriously in places like the UN, too. You need to stand out from a congested charity crowd. And your brand needs to work in countries all over the world – many of which operate on shoestring budgets.

Can a brand do all that? Appeal to the young but be taken seriously by everyone else? Stand out, but be practical enough to work all over the developing world?
Of course it can (say Figtree).

You start by choosing a simple, inspiring name. One that captures the courageous spirit of your organization, but that isn’t trying to be clever. You create a powerful visual identity using black on white – bold and confident but easy and cheap to reproduce.

And you find a punchy tone of voice that challenges people’s preconceptions of youth, and talks to young people without trying to be down with the kids.

Then you get it out there. And when three months later the phone rings, it’s the UN Secretariat. They’ve never noticed you before. Now they’re asking you to be lead partner in the UN International Year of Youth…

www.restlessdevelopment.org