The Project: As Kingston’s Community Foundation was getting ready to celebrate its 10th anniversary, board members felt they were ready to freshen up their brand. They hired us to help them.

The Challenge: “Our strategic goal was to move from being a reactive agency, where they hand out grants based only on the applications that come to them, to a more proactive agency that can define local needs in key areas and really help set the community’s agenda,” explains Boom Strategy principal Theresa MacBeth, who oversaw the project. “The branding really came out of that. We were moving toward a more dynamic, progressive position,
so we needed an update of their identity to reflect those qualities.”

“Theresa’s process brought a lot of emotions to the fore,” says former Foundation Executive Director Glenn Stressman. “One of them was a deep-seated love for Martello towers in the organization. It was a case where there was a deep undercurrent. No matter how far we got, we would have to deal with the Martello Tower as a symbol of this organization.”

The Solution: We kept the tower as the logo’s focus, but we allowed it to evolve by modernizing and simplifying it. “Brian and Jen were able to work within the framework that we gave them,” says Stressman.” They merged the notion of the tower with a vibrant image that will help us move forward.”

The Results: “I think it was what everyone was looking for,” says MacBeth. “It was both more dynamic and more reflective of their vision. I’ve been to events since the identity was launched and I’ve been impressed by how integrated their materials have become. They look great – professional, distinctive and consistent. It’s the same as their old identity conceptually, but it’s much better executed. They were able to infuse a sense of energy, momentum and boldness that just weren’t there before.”

Deliverables

Corporate Identity
Corporate Stationary
Corporate Website
Corporate Guidelines