Designing the Thin Blue Line
I find it hard to do as I am told and authority figures have to work twice as hard to earn my trust. People who know me well would expect that I’d be the last person to lay down the law. I aspire to be an agent of change and encourage other people to break with conventions. However…
Looking back I’ve worked with Surrey Police, Met Police, New Scotland Yard and Ministry of Justice. Also the Home Office, UK Border Agency, Identity and Passport Service and Association of Chief Police Officers. Recently working with theteam.co.uk on a rebrand for Crimestoppers. Here’s how we helped them to think like a designer.
If you want to see visuals scroll to the end of this article.
Creating the new branding for the anti-crime charity, Crimestoppers has been rewarding. The aim was to disassociate it with other organisations such as the police in order to avoid confusion. Making it clear that they are an independent charity with a single minded purpose and offer a vital service to vulnerable people. 100% anonymous. Always.
Crimestoppers is a heritage brand that has been delivering a unique service for many years, but is also an independent charity in need of support, which is why a rebrand was so essential.
There is a common misconception that Crimestoppers is part of the police, or confused with the BBC TV programme Crimewatch. Founded by Lord Ashcroft in 1988, Crimestoppers was established so that people could provide information about crime anonymously, without fear of retribution.
Crimestoppers believe everybody has the right to feel safe from crime, wherever they live. Their purpose is to give people the power to speak up to stop crime, 100% anonymously.
Increasingly rebranding is used to clarify and restate what an organisation is there to do. This is especially prevalent in the not-for-profit sector where branding and campaigning has almost merged into one activity. A rebrand directly affects fundraising.
While the brand had done well at communicating to ‘stoppers’ (the people who use the anonymous service), it needed to evolve to engage more of them as well as more ‘supporters’ (the volunteers and donors who make the service possible) under one design system.
The previous design system was deemed ‘austere’, with black as its dominant colour. Research with key audiences established a new brand strategy, including the personality of a ‘community champion’, brought to life by four values. Community contains the values of ‘we care’ and ‘we’re inclusive’. Champion suggests being ‘trustworthy’ and ‘determined’.
A flexible design system has been developed around 45-degree angles inspired by road signs, which are tilted upwards to represent “speak up” and downwards for “stop crime”.
Red has been retained as the main brand colour to reflect the charity’s heritage and purple has been added as a complementary colour to move away from the association of the police and the colour blue. A secondary colour palette of teal and mustard has also been introduced.
We had the idea of naming the colour palette after Cludeo characters but Miss Scarlett, Professor Plum, Mrs. Peacock, Colonel Mustard and Sergeant Gray didn’t make it to the final brand guidelines.
Adding human emotion and empathy
Crimestoppers’ new brand identity tells stories through photography featuring people in the moment. This fly-on-the-wall style, crops out the faces of ‘Stoppers’ for anonymity, and is integrated with imagery that is suggestive of a crime. A forensic style has been carefully chosen to provoke intrigue, not fear. For ‘Supporters’, the photography shows the brand’s empathetic ‘community’ side: people on the street or in their homes safe from crime, wherever they live.
“ the refreshed brand provides the right platform to better engage supporters both in the public and commercial arenas. While we work closely with the police, we are an independent charity and need to ensure the public knows that,” Mark Hallas, chief executive of Crimestoppers.
Brands need the ability to flex for different audiences and needs. For example, speaking specifically to government, service users, supporters or employees. Communications draw strength and reassurance from consistent design elements and a strong visual identity. In this case heavy-duty colours, straight talking and images which tell a story, evoking empathy.
In earlier design development of the Crimestoppers brand we played with making the visual identity more youthful. Using a symbol for social media and merchandising. We later agreed on using a full stop to show Crimestoppers resolve instead. Complementing key messaging and a tone of voice, made up of short, punchy, staccato sentences: “We won’t ask your name. Won’t judge. No courts.”
Here are some of the early design visuals.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I really appreciate it.
