Manchester has the third highest amount of homelessness in the UK, with rates having doubled in the last five years alone. It makes the work of local homelessness charities like Barnabus a crucial lifeline for vulnerable people.

The charity has been operating for 30 years, but has recently adjusted its approach to deliver deeper levels of support to fewer people, in the belief that this way the charity could help people rebuild their lives in the long term.

Having recently secured its own accommodation to support people on their journey to independent living, Barnabus wanted its branding to reflect this new chapter and the overall shift in approach.

Rob Jenkins and Angus Prior at local agency Havas Lynx spent over 18 months carefully revising its branding, working closely with everyone from the Barnabus team to people who are currently experiencing homelessness.

The geography of Manchester inspired the new designs. The adaptable logotype, as well as type treatments used in graphics, feature varying angles and scales that illustrate the city’s streets, while also incidentally suggesting the shape of a building. The team wanted to create the sense of turning a corner, a concept that comes to life in animated graphics.

The bright yet calming colour palette, simple black lettering, and “glass-half-full tone of voice” come together to create the feel of a Jeremy Deller poster, ensuring a sense of optimism runs throughout the identity.

Since the new branding has been introduced, there has been uptick in social media engagement and in corporate sponsors displaying the Barnabus logo on their website and premises.

havaslynx.com