Brand Identity Kit
As a brand strategist with an interest in graphic design, I collaborated with students from Felix Followers Youth Group (FFYG), a grassroots organization managing service and social opportunities for Thumb-area youth. My client, Cynthia Tait, hoped that promotional media would allow her to extend the group’s outreach to interested families in the community. She also planned to raise awareness and attendance of fundraising programs that offered important support toward enrichment activities for her students.
Before committing to a project direction, Cynthia and I met to exchange ideas about the deliverables and intangibles most appropriate for our focus, given the specific objectives of her initiative. We agreed on a brand identity kit, event press release, themed flyer series, and digital newsletter. The press release and flyer series encouraged support of an important annual fundraising program, which could benefit students with service and social activities in the near future. A brand identity kit and digital newsletter offered better recognition and representation throughout the community to grow membership long-term.
Project Category: Professional Promotion
Deliverables: Core Brand Identity Kit, Group Newsletter, Event Press Release, 4 Flyers
Client: Felix Followers Youth Group
Timeline: January 2019–July 2019
Software: Adobe InDesign, Microsoft Word
Core Brand Identity Kit
Cynthia described her wish for the youth group to have a sense of continuity in branding materials. Thus, the brand identity kit represents a foundational element of her initiative and deliverables. When developing an identity kit for membership, I chose a heart-shaped watermark to symbolize charity and connected arrows in reference to the group name of “followers,” then used the aesthetic template in a business card, envelope, and letterhead. As mentioned above, I created the majority of my projects in the Adobe InDesign workspace.
Group Newsletter
I wrote two features for the group newsletter, which is intended to inform and engage members. My first story addresses the pressures that Christian teens face in balancing friends’ and relatives’ expectations for their future with God’s plan. The second lists milestone moments during a recent charitable initiative. These topics were important to my client because they shine a light on what the group stands for—instilling Christian values in adolescents and teaching youth about giving back.
Liked: Whose Approval Are You Living For? by Kari Kampakis is an excellent summer reading option for teenage girls navigating their place in our ever-changing world. This book explores the importance of following God rather than following trends, seeking His love over “likes” on social media, and choosing eternal acceptance instead of settling for temporary attention. The author emphasizes that we are created unique for a reason and in turn discourages conformity to societal expectations, especially when society ignores God’s rules or will.
Liked addresses ten Christian themes: identity, confidence, kindness, character, commitment, connection, wisdom, humility, courage, and direction. Each is a touchstone to the struggles many of us face as adolescents. During this phase on our journey, we attempt to determine life’s purpose as well as effective methods for leveraging our skills and talents to serve the world. Although we may wish for peer reassurance as we find out who we are, we must entrust our soul-searching process to God, who best knows our hearts and sets destiny in the stars.
Forty Blankets, Forty Stories. Felix Followers has reached forty blanket giveaways since 2015, when our group launched the project to donate handmade fleece tie blankets in support of community members battling illness or financial insecurity. Throughout the past four years, we have shared comfort and kindness with neighbors in need as well as offered encouragement toward our own students achieving significant life milestones. “Anyone who has received a blanket truly has cherished the selfless giving of the group,” says Mrs. Tait, recalling her memories of deliveries to recipients.
Forty blankets equate to forty stories of hearts touched. The sick in health and the underserved appreciate outreach from today’s youth. High school graduates value the blankets as an opportunity to remember experiences and friendships within the group as they pursue another phase of their journey. And just as recipients benefit, so do those who engage in the project—FFYG students put together time, fabric, and talent to make something greater than the sum of its parts.
Themed Flyer Series
Under client guidance, I handled graphic design projects for the group’s annual sandwich sale. I designed four flyers:
an 8.5” by 11” flyer for advertisement prior to the event,
quarter-sheet invitations mailed to regular attendees,
a pricing summary for display on the fundraiser date, and
a listing of the group’s history and activities provided to supporters upon request or interest.
Check out the themed flyer series.
Event Press Release and Social Media
Cynthia requested my help with the press announcement for her upcoming fundraiser, expressing interest in publishing avenues such as The Huron Daily Tribune. I researched local newspapers’ guidelines and timelines to ensure our best opportunity for promoting the event. We also launched new projects through a member Facebook group to encourage attendance among students.
Thanks for reading!
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