WINNER
Action for Child Trauma
by Among Equals, for ACT International
ACT, formerly Luna Children's Charity, treats children with PTSD such as child refugees. It faced significant issues with its brand: it wasn’t being accepted in the international NGO community; “Luna” had unfortunate mental health connotations; and its “dated, childish” visual identity undermined the seriousness of its work, according to Among Equals, which rebranded the charity.
The consultancy created the new name, ACT (Action for Child Trauma), and built a more professional, modern identity based on the idea that for those with PTSD, life can be stuck on repeat. “Repetition was a core theme that run through the whole identity and became a powerful tool in writing,” says Among Equals, which adds that the copy needed to make the “complex, abstract issues” that ACT works on “tangible and emotive” without compromising the corporate tone needed for ACT to be taken seriously as an international NGO. “High impact, emotive, occasionally shocking, [the copy and branding] make mental health visceral and urgent to help drive donations,” says Among Equals. Since the rebrand, ACT has seen a 30% increase in donations with no additional fundraising activity.
The judges said: “A powerful idea. I love how the words and visuals are joined up through the concept of repeat”
Build a Life
by Uncommon Creative Studio, for B&Q
Build a Life is the first in a series of campaigns by Uncommon for B&Q that look to reinstate the UK’s emotional connection with the brand. The campaign celebrates “the power of home improvement to change lives,” according to Uncommon, and nods to the fact that lockdown has made home even more significant to people.
Using a film capturing real life moments from real people's archive footage, Build a Life aims to create “a genuine portrait of British homes and how they have been improved across the years,” says Uncommon. The film was followed by 17 further executions including an OOH campaign used across the UK. The designs use imagery of everyday DIY products alongside words and statements inspired by life at home and home improvement, such as a dimmer switch paired with “First kiss.” The look and feel celebrates the famous B&Q orange colour while using a fresh, stripped back style.
Britain Get Talking
by Uncommon Creative Studio, for ITV
ITV’s mental wellness initiative Britain Get Talking encourages people to keep talking, and Uncommon created a “deliberately minimalist” print campaign using copy that’s revealed as a mobile phone contacts list. The campaign is themed around the family or friends who people might not have thought to check in with during lockdown. Characters include a "social media shy dad", a “vulnerable ex” and a real doctor working at Bristol A&E. The character-based approach aims to encourage people to think about how they can make a difference to others.
The print campaign supported the initial re-launch of Britain Get Talking on ITV in March 2020 and ran across titles such as The Observer, The Times and The I. The work will also be used online and across social channels. Since Britain Get Talking re-launched, more than 6 million people have made calls or sent texts to friends and family as a result of the campaign.
If the world can see
by Uncommon Creative Studio, for ITV
Uncommon created a piece of print communication to commend the journalists reporting from the scene as Trump supporters stormed and attacked the US Capitol building in January 2021. ITV News correspondent Robert Moore was among them, “surfing the mob wave as it battered down the doors and windows of the Capitol building, and calmly reporting on the events as they unfolded around him,” according to the studio. The piece for ITV ran across national UK newspapers. The ad reads: “On the 6 of January this year, in the corridors of the Capitol, windows were broken. Doors were smashed. Reporters assaulted. Lives were lost. ‘This is exactly what was feared. But in no way is this a surprise’ says a voice, calm in the chaos. The voice of ITV News journalist Robert Moore. And we saw the truth in the Capitol that day, because he did. If the world can see, the world can change.”
Just Ask Max
by Among Equals, for Just Ask Max
Just Ask Max is an online safety service for families offering help with issues including scams, screen time and sexting. Among Equals changed the name from Simple Cyber Life since it “didn't reflect the innovative, radically user-friendly nature of their service or their family focus.” The business was looking to scale, and needed a brand that parents and investors could buy into, and which could convey safety online without the appearance of “boring” and cliched cybersecurity communications.
Among Equals aimed to create warm and playful brand copy that still conveyed seriousness; while the new name was inspired by the Latin name for an elephant subspecies, e.m maximus, to symbolise strength, wisdom and protection. “We used a lot of jungle puns, but didn't shy away from more serious language where it was needed,” says Among Equals. “We were also very careful in how we described the proposition referring to digital well-being, not cybersecurity. We brought Max to life at every possible point from headlines (like 'Let's stamp out cyberbullying') to functional calls to action (like 'Join the herd').”
The Empowerium
by Among Equals, for The Girls’ Network
The Girls' Network empowers some of the UK's least-advantaged girls by connecting them with women in business mentors. It tasked Among Equals with creating a campaign that could cut through in the busy Christmas period to drive awareness and donations without any media budget. The result was The Empowerium, a satirical fake online store designed to raise money by “selling” products like a hammer for smashing glass ceilings, pay gap filler and lean-in heels that highlight the inherent farcicality of gender inequality. When users clicked “buy” they were taken to an error screen reading “product removed due to extreme sexism and ridiculousness” and encouraged to donate to The Girls' Network.
Smart, humourous copy was also used on fake product ads and the delivery service “Her-mes.” Among Equals says copy had to be “provocative, but not offensive” and was “jam-packed with easter eggs and wordplay.” The “store” acted as the hub for the campaign, which ran across TGN’s social accounts in the run up to Christmas, and is now planned to run throughout 2021 as an engagement tool. The Empowerium resulted in ten times more donations than previous campaigns and was covered in national media including the BBC.
Writing for Design
shortlisted
Writing for Design