Spencer du Bois guides MS society

The MS Society is this week launching a set of brand guidelines, by Spencer du Bois, in a bid to reinstate the charity’s core principles. Spencer du Bois was tasked with creating a visual brand identity system for use across all communications to increase the profile and salience of the MS Society.

In 2000, the consultancycreated a visual identity for the charity, which moved from using a broken ‘M’ to an interrupted ‘M’. ‘We have not changed the logo this time, just made minor tweaks that only a designer would notice,’ says John Spencer at Spencer du Bois.

‘When we created the logo the charity had basic guidelines and it has done well to stick to them. But a brand language suggests better ways of putting everything together. That’s what these guidelines are for.’ The guidelines follow on from an advertising campaign by the MS Society, also by Spencer du Bois.

The consultancy won both the advertising and branding work following an advertising pitch involving four groups. ‘We launched a logo a few years ago and we are now launching brand guidelines,’ says MS Society head of communications Matthew Trainer. ‘We want to try to explain that branding is about much more than just a logo. If you have the materials and use them correctly to reflect the branding, members are more likely to trust you.’

At the same time, the charity sector has been busy in other areas. The Alzheimer’s Society is to launch its new headquarters in London, with design by Artillery Architecture and Interior Design. The 1900m2 space at St Katharine Docks, London E1, aims to create an appropriate workplace that will ultimately lead to these principles being applied to its other UK offices. An open-plan space aims to make navigation easy, with doors kept to a minimum to reduce confusion. Colour coding of common areas, such as tea points and toilets, combined with special signage will be introduced, as well as the use of pictures and familiar words to create a variety of elements to assist memory.

Two weeks ago the charity unveiled a new identity and visual language by Conran Design Group.