Guide Dogs Australia reveals new branding to strengthen national presence
Guide Dogs Australia has revealed its refreshed brand, introducing one logo and aesthetic for all of the charity’s communications and touch points to strengthen its national presence.
The new branding, created by FutureBrand, has been developed to better reflect how the organisation’s services have evolved over time, providing support to people with low vision and blindness beyond the use of guide dogs.
The strategic idea behind the branding is ‘find your way’, reflecting that each person’s experience is different and the services they choose to support them are flexible.
Charlie Spendlove, head of marketing and communications centre of excellence at Guide Dogs VIC, NSW and ACT, said of the rebrand: “Every brand tells a story. Ours is much-loved, but it needs some new chapters to better highlight how we support people with low vision or blindness. Our beloved Guide Dogs will always be vital to our story, but now they’re part of a bigger picture. Our new brand is modern, dynamic and impactful, and builds on the strength of our history and of all our offerings.
“I salute FutureBrand for the outstanding work they delivered. The team worked tirelessly to thoroughly research and understand the goals we have for the Guide Dogs brand. This diligence to detail and strong stakeholder management practice is reflected in the beautiful new visual identity and the overwhelmingly positive support we have received for the final product. We look forward to continuing our partnership with FutureBrand as we begin the rollout process.”
The brightly coloured and geometric design of the branding was chosen so that it could be identified by people with low vision. Images were selected to celebrate the joy of independence and enjoying everyday moments in life.
In its development, FutureBrand worked with Guide Dogs clients, employees, donors, volunteers and members of the community to research the direction the new branding should take.
The rebrand is effective immediately, rolling out across Guide Dogs’ new website, and all brand touch points.
FutureBrand CEO, Rich Curtis, said: “The more we immersed ourselves in the Guide Dogs Australia brand and experience, the more we heard about all the ways in which the organisation gives people who are blind or have low vision the freedom and independence to move through life and connect with the communities around them. So that’s where we placed the focus of the rebrand.
“Guide Dogs Australia is not only an iconic brand, it’s also a very big one – an organisation with that kind of scale needs a brand that can flex and stretch across multiple products, services and stakeholders, both locally and
nationally. As a team, it was a privilege to work with the Guide Dogs team to rebrand an organisation that is trusted and loved by so many Australians, and to help build a framework for growth and innovation in the future.”
Late last year, Guide Dogs Australia launched an integrated campaign from Thinkerbell celebrating the freedom a guide dog can provide to its handler.
