We were approached by the RSA (the royal society for arts, manufactures and commerce) to create a coherent brand strategy and identity that aligned with their new strategic plan.

An organisation with a strong heritage in delivering change, in concert with its active fellowship, corporate partners, collaborators, and wider community, the RSA wanted to better demonstrate the sum of its parts.

They wanted to shift from being an organisation of outputs, to delivering impact and outcomes.

After an immersive process, the significance of the moment when you decide to join the RSA, became clear to us. In joining, you make a commitment – to an ethos and to help solve the challenges of our time.

This brand idea – ‘Commit to Impact’ – drove the direction of the identity and tone of voice. We stripped the identity back. Then turned up the volume, so it expressed the impact they, with their Fellowship, can make.

We simplified the RSA logo, and created a visual toolkit around that allowed focus and flexibility. A reduced colour palette of black, white and turquoise created distinction, and grabbed attention.

A new typeface to accompany the Gill used in the famous logo, allowed a more editorial headline style. And we created visual assets using the ‘foundation stone’ from the logo and an accompanying set of illustrated patterns informed by the RSA’s heritage and iconic John Adams designed building and Georgian references.

A new tone of voice, informed by identity principles: ‘we invite’, ‘we provoke’, ‘we challenge’, ‘we keep it simple’ allows the big theoretical RSA ideas to cut through in the digital space, creating a brand with verve and curiosity.

Now the visual and verbal identity balances intelligence and wit, with brevity and clarity.