Bowel & Cancer Research rebrands to challenge stigma of gut diseases

The charity, which funds research into conditions such as Crohn’s and Irritable Bowel Syndrome, has taken on a new visual identity and ad campaign to “dismiss enduring taboos”.

Charity Bowel & Cancer Research has rebranded, taking on a new logo that aims to represent the charity’s mission of finding health “anomalies”.

Bowel & Cancer Research was founded in the 1990s as a small, local charity called The London Immunotherapy Cancer Centre, based in the Royal London Hospital.

It has since become a national charity which funds scientific research into bowel cancer, inflammatory bowel diseases such as Colitis and Crohn’s, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and other bowel problems. It also looks to raise awareness of these conditions and challenge stigma.

The rebrand has been completed by branding designer Nick Kohn, alongside advertising agency The Minimart.

The logo retains the pink and purple colour palette of the previous branding, but drops the bold, sans-serif typeface for serif, thinner typeface Roboto.

The strapline “Saving lives, changing lives” has been removed, and the symbol has been replaced with a circular one featuring multiple purple symbols and one incongruous pink one set in a different shape.

Deborah Gilbert, CEO at Bowel and Cancer Research says the new visual identity hopes to highlight the idea of picking out an “anomaly” from human cells, to symbolise the charity’s “scientific endeavour of finding out what is different and needs addressing”.

The previous branding

She adds that the previous branding was “rather elongated, spiky, unfriendly and a bit confusing”.

The new typeface aims to be “friendly and accessible”, while also appearing “clean, modern and authoritative”, she says.

Accompanying the visual identity change is marketing campaign I’ve Got Guts, which features a monochrome palette, and bold, sans-serif typography. It aims to fulfil part of the charity’s mission of increasing awareness of and challenging stigma around bowel-related health conditions.

“Recognising the enduring taboos surrounding bowels and bowel function, the charity is keen to champion the challenging of these, and establish itself as a trusted interface between the scientific community and patients and the public,” says Gilbert.

The new branding and ad campaign has rolled out across internal and external print marketing materials, online platforms and merchandise.

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Comments
  • DC July 13, 2017 at 12:21 pm

    ‘…the previous branding was “rather elongated, spiky, unfriendly and a bit confusing”.

    – Unfortunately the new one isn’t any different

  • Martin Cartwright July 14, 2017 at 11:34 am

    Not very inspiring to be honest, the new font for me isn’t authoritative is rather weak seeing as what it represents. The graphic seems like an afterthought and it’s too detailed. Was simplicity the key?. Also, who on earth sent the images with the printers proof marks on! and file name!

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