Challenge: Although the CFGT has been around for 50 years, there was little to no awareness of it among the general public. Much of the green space around and within the GTA is owned and run by the CFGT’s partner Toronto and Region Conservation (TRCA), but there’s no recognition of their contribution in the minds of the people who actually use that space or donate to ensure that they continue to exist. Fundraising had always been done on a major gifts level so it was less important to have a visual presence at the various properties. However, the need to embark on new fundraising efforts has become a reality, and the CFGT knew that they needed a more memorable, donor-facing presence to achieve the best results. The CFGT had already completed some work on establishing Toronto as “The Living City”. ST agreed with TRCA’s recommendation that the client leverage the equity that already existed in “The Living City” and rename the Conservation Foundation of Greater Toronto to the more donor-friendly and memorable “The Living City Foundation”.

Strategy & Execution: ST took the CFGT through a comprehensive series of exercises to determine what kind of brand attributes the new The Living City Foundation should have. ST distilled these attributes down to a rational, emotional and spiritual level to arrive at a Brand Essence statement that would inspire the logo exploration and development. The Brand Essence then becomes a set of attributes that represent the brand on its best day.The final execution of the logo is an impressionistic, graphic icon (the blocks of colour). There is harmony in the colour palette, with each block of colour representing a different aspect of The Living City: Blue for both water and urban. Orange for human. Shades of green for nature. Of course, this is open to interpretation, but together they make for a strong, contemporary, eye-catching symbol, literally supported by the words, The Living City Foundation. The words “The” and “Foundation” are treated in colour to communicate that The Foundation (with the help of supporters) holds up the Living City. The blocks of colour are not rigid, but almost dance together, symbolizing the sense of movement and joy that come from experiencing The Living City for yourself.

Results: It was important to understand that the brand is not the visual identity, but rather a set of values and attributes that are built over time through actions. By its very nature, branding is a subjective process.

The client celebrated their 50th anniversary with the unveiling of the new Foundation name and logo, and we can look forward to seeing the new logo rolled out on signage, collateral and fundraising material for years to come.