North rebrands civil rights group Liberty with a bold identity aimed at younger audiences

Liberty, the UK’s largest civil rights group, was founded in 1934 in response to police brutality towards peaceful protesters. They champion anyone whose rights come under threat, from gypsy and traveller communities to Government whistle-blowers.

Despite their values and aims remaining consistent since the beginning, their visual identity had begun to feel dated, making the organisation unappealing to new members. Campaign material was lacking in strength and coherence, both visually and tonally. That’s been turned around by London-based agency North, who was commissioned to redesign Liberty’s visual identity and rethink their tone of voice.

At the heart of the new identity is the Liberty logotype, designed to be a timeless rallying cry and campaigning tool for members to get behind. Its double ‘L’ and ‘I’ character combination subtly conveys the difference between organisation and individual, while being a simple and memorable mark. It represents ‘ordinary’ people standing up to power.

The choice of green is a stand against politically charged colours such as red and blue. It is reflective of Liberty’s independent and nonpartisan stance that’s guided by evidence, expertise and human impact, not agenda, profit or popular opinion. The colour is also a homage to the blue-green handkerchiefs used by Pañuelazo, a women’s rights and pro-choice movement in Argentina.

To launch the new identity, North created a poster campaign that dives into Liberty’s rich history, showcasing over 80 years of cutting-edge civil rights work. By shifting the emphasis of the brand and messaging to membership, it’s helped them reach a younger, more diverse and politically engaged audience.

North