Branding the National Centre
Redefining Hope and Empathy: The National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse Rebrand
Brand guidelines / Strategy / Brand Values / Website Design and Development / Illustration / Infographic Design / Copy
Challenge
The National Centre faced an immense challenge following the 2017 Royal Commission.
The task was twofold: to address the deeply sensitive issue of child sexual abuse while connecting with a diverse range of stakeholders, from victims and survivors to government bodies, and to create hope for the future. The risk of mishandling this issue was enormous, potentially causing emotional distress and undermining trust. A failure to engage the broader public could impede the Centre’s mission.
Solution
To create a brand that resonated with victims and survivors, stakeholders, and the public, we adopted a human-centered design approach.
This involved co-designing with victims and survivors, industry professionals, and government representatives to ensure our work was deeply empathetic and informed. We prioritised stakeholder involvement, cultivated empathy, and developed a clear understanding of the challenges we faced. Creative ideation, collaboration, and iteration were essential for crafting a unique narrative that symbolised the National Centre brand’s essence.
Approach
"One person is a tragedy, one million is a statistic," highlighted the need to humanise the stories of survivors.
Our approach centred on co-design with victims, survivors and stakeholders to create the National Centre’s rebrand. This insight from one survivor became the inspiration for our design concept. To embody this idea, we developed a visual direction focused on creating bespoke thumbprint illustrations. Each thumbprint symbolised the uniqueness of a survivor’s story and their journey toward healing and change. These thumbprints became a powerful metaphor, illustrating that every survivor’s experience is distinctive, much like the ridges and patterns on their thumbprints.
“Stories to the Forefront” encapsulated this concept and became the essence of the National Centre brand. It emphasised the journey towards healing, resilience, and the strength of victims and survivors, cutting through in marketing and communication materials. This approach played a pivotal role in the brand’s success, combining education and empathy to engage a broad audience.
Brandmark rationale
National
The brandmark strikes a balance between empathy and expertise to establish the National Centre as a symbol of unity, hope and healing that spans the entire nation.
Action
Along the East Coast of Australia, a subtle exclamation mark is formed, accentuating their commitment to action and impact.
Three coming together
The coming together of Australian Childhood Foundation, Blue Knot Foundation and the Healing Foundation marks a huge milestone. The three circular shapes highlight the three brands uniting to form the National Centre.
Measurable change
The logo embodies change and progress with an upward arrow, symbolising unwavering commitment to making a tangible difference for victims and survivors at its core.
Result
The result was a brand, communication strategy and website that positioned the National Centre as an industry-leading organisation while genuinely resonating with real people through the power of storytelling.
The National Centre brand design has deeply resonated with real people through the compelling art of storytelling. By symbolising the uniqueness of each victims and survivors story, our efforts convey the intricate reality of child sexual abuse, with the aim to bring hope, eliminate stigma, and empower victims and survivors. This sparks an ongoing educational movement, intending to transform the National Centre’s brand into a beacon of hope, unity, and genuine change, with a long-term goal to shift stigma and attitudes.
Explore the website we created for the National Centre:
What our clients have to say:
Dr Leanne Beagley
Chief Executive Officer
The National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse
“We chose Storyfolk for their alignment with our approach, their engagement capability, and their passion for people.
They approached all of our stakeholder groups with candor and acute listening, creating personalised workshops and consultations. They listened and reflected compassionately on what they heard and then acted on it. The biggest impact was on our board, with Storyfolk approaching them with respect and honour. The board’s confidence in the process and emphatic endorsement of the outcomes was palpable and welcome. The product, a resonant brand and package, has led to further work unpacking our brand into organisational values, corporate partnerships, philanthropic investment, policy and public advocacy, and long-term sustainability planning.”
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We respectfully acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land which we work, the Wurundjeri-willam peoples on the land which we work. We pay respect to their Elders, past present and emerging.