As the Social Mobility Foundation approached its 20th anniversary, they came to us with a clear challenge: their brand wasn’t keeping pace with the scale and ambition of their work. While their impact was significant – helping young people from all social backgrounds to discover and develop their talents – their identity wasn’t cutting through in a crowded charity landscape. They needed a brand that could flex across a wide audience, from government stakeholders to students scrolling social feeds, and unify their visual language across a previously fragmented brand system.

We set out to create a brand that futureproofed the Foundation’s identity while staying true to its mission. Accessibility became our guiding principle – not just in terms of usability, but in the way the brand speaks to different experiences of social mobility. We took the strongest elements of their core and sub-brand, and reimagined them into a single elevated identity. A key element was a new navigational mark – a directional motif that reflects the many ways young people navigate their lives. Whether used to frame photography, animate content, or guide layout, it became a distinctive symbol of purpose and movement.

We delivered a scalable brand system that feels bold, human, and built to connect. The refreshed colour palette brings a youthful energy while retaining the sophistication needed for policy-level conversations. Most importantly, the identity gives the Social Mobility Foundation the tools to tell richer, more personal stories – and to celebrate the infinite, individual paths that social mobility can take. It’s a brand designed to grow with them – reaching more people, breaking more barriers, and unlocking even greater impact.