A strong brand identity is not just important it’s vital, and is something charities have shied away from in the past. As the understanding of branding has grown within the sector in recent years there has been an explosion of creative, impactful, storytelling (think of the RSPCA’s rebrand or RSPB’s TikTok). We wanted to shine a light on charity campaigns in 2024 that have helped show what the charity sector can do creatively.

We’re Here – St Mungo’s

Last September, St Mungo’s launched its first-ever brand campaign ‘We’re Here’. This charity campaign aimed to raise awareness and gain more public support. The out-of-home campaign involved placing billboards in known rough sleeping areas across London.

These billboards were informed by real experiences of those on those streets, taken over 18 months. Each billboard had a message such as “We helped Joe when he lost his home.” The OOH campaign also used bold colours such as white, orange, and black. Making these stories and the brand stand out against the grey London streets. Sleeping bags were placed under the signs to amplify the impact.

St Mungo’s avoided stereotypical images of homelessness to drive home the message effectively. This creative approach increased awareness and encouraged public support.

Let’s Change How We Age – Age UK

Back in October, Age UK launched their ‘Let’s Change How We Age’ campaign. Which drew comparisons between how we treat older people and how we treat old objects. The campaign aimed to spark a national debate about how society treats older people.

The campaign used multiple channels including OOH print, TV, and digital. The print used eye-catching AI-generated images of older people in the style of old master oil paintings with a security guard standing next to it. With thought-provoking copy such as ‘Why do we look after old objects not older people?

The centrepiece of the campaign was the brilliant film starring Richard Durdan and directed by James Marsh. Which sees Durdan walking around a museum, talking about the reverence attached to old objects, how old people are neglected and how Age UK offers support.

In addition, to these more traditional channels, Age UK also partnered with creator @fineartcollective who is known for his reviews of art masterpieces. He reviewed the paintings used in the out-of-home ads before revealing that they were a part of Age UK’s campaign.

YoungMinds Rebrand.

Last April, YoungMinds rebranded for the first time in seven years, costing £75,000. They partnered with youth specialists Livity to ensure their message was as authentic as possible and spoke to 15 – 25-year-olds. As they seemed in danger of becoming out of touch and trying to be “down with the kids” without engaging with them.

Livity asked what young people thought of the brand and what they wanted to see from them. The result is a bright, positive brand with pastel colours and bold font. Ensuring it stands out on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.

This approach has helped YoungMinds connect more effectively with their audience. The rebranding is an excellent example of how charity campaigns can reach people and how important it is to ask what your target audience thinks.

These campaigns and rebrands are fantastic and spotlight serious issues through deep research of their target audience, creativity, and collaboration. If you want to be inspired to create work that creates just as much impact you can sign up for our newsletter. Which gives you the latest tips, the tools you need to know about and all the latest social media updates.