A New Look
How do you respect 250 years of history but stay relevant in an increasingly digital world?
How do you symbolize our charitable mission while also showcasing the vibrancy of our membership community?
How do you visually represent such a unique British-American relationship?
These were the questions with which Landor was faced when developing a new look and feel for us – one that would bring together St. George’s Society and GEORGE under a single visual identity.
Since its founding in 1941, Landor has grown into a global leader in brand consulting and design with 25 offices in 19 countries. They are the minds behind Coca-Cola’s curve, FedEx’s hidden arrow and Volvic’s volcano. Through the generosity of Advisory Council member, Sir Martin Sorrell, we were provided an opportunity to work with the celebrated WPP agency. Their mission is to help build agile brands—brands that can stand the test of time but also thrive on change.
Learn more about agile brands from Landor CEO, Lois Jacobs.
The first step was research: understanding who we are, what we do and why we do it.
Lauded illustrator and graphic designer, Bob Gill once said, “If you’re going to create an identity for a laundromat, you go to a laundromat. You don’t sit in front of a computer looking up images of laundromats”. Taking that approach Landor interviewed a wide variety of community stakeholders, from past Presidents and longtime members to beneficiaries and Lehman College staff. They explored our archives, reviewing past Annual Reports, event invitations, our coat of arms and membership application forms.
This research informed the Society’s brand position: We are a charity driven by a thriving social community. We enrich the quality of life for people in need. We represent a distinctive balance between tradition and modernity.
“We are a charity driven by a thriving social community.”
Since 1770, St. George’s Society has continuously evolved. Whilst our overall mission has remained the same, our logo, our programs and even our constitution has been altered and updated to meet the needs and demands of a changing world. In order to continue to communicate the Society’s brand position effectively, a refresh was in order. After many months of analysis and multiple design rounds, a new “look and feel” was developed—one that “celebrates both our notable heritage and our exciting future.” We look forward to unveiling our refreshed visual identity this fall.
