Scouts is a group that prepares young people for life; they’ve grown to accept more and more people from different genders, beliefs, and backgrounds throughout the years. The group has recently expanded to include the four to five-year-old age group, known as Squirrels.
With the branding help and expertise from Supple Studio, the identity system for the new group is filled with visual cues that excite, educate, and inspire all from a child’s perspective. Furthermore, the identity is inclusive of all and easily approachable, excellently fit for a group that practices those very beliefs. And who can deny the utter cuteness of the squirrel’s tail as the “S” in the group’s name?
The first new branch of the Scouts’ family tree for 35 years, Squirrels is their new early years offer; a new chapter at the very beginning of a child’s journey through Scouts. Catering for 4 to 5 year olds, Squirrels will get to be active, explore nature and have fun learning with friends whilst earning badges like all other Scouts.
We were commissioned to create an inclusive tone of voice and visual language for Squirrels that would complement the Scouts master brand, whilst working equally well whether online or outdoors. Our strategic approach to the Squirrels brand idea was to rewind to the beginning of the Scouts story – Brownsea Island.
Home to the birth of the Scouts movement 112 years ago (as well as a brood of ultra-rare red squirrels). We used the island’s flora and fauna as inspiration for our visual language – creating a squirrelly logotype, cut paper illustrations and tree rubbing textures that feel age appropriate. Photography was commissioned and art directed to have a child’s eye view, whilst tone of voice was given a sense of curiosity and wonder that comes hand in muddy-hand with being a pre-schooler. Fingers crossed we get our ‘Get Creative’ badge for all of our hard work.
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