Pangolin Crisis Fund Branding against illegal trafficking

Although most of us would be unfamiliar with the Pangolin, they are actually the most illegally trafficked wild mammal in the world. Their quirky and unique attributes have made them a target – their meat is perceived to be a delicacy and their scales are believed to have medicinal qualities. All eight species of Pangolins are threatened with extinction so the Wildlife Conservation Network [WCN] and Save Pangolins created the Pangolin Crisis Fund in partnership with the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.

The fund invests in the most effective projects to stop poaching, trade, and demand whilst also raising the profile of their plight. Graphic design studio Superfried was commissioned to develop a brandmark to represent the cause.

The Pangolin has a very unique and beautiful aesthetic – ideal for creating standout. However, their distinct scales are also incredibly intricate – potentially problematic at small scale. Consequently, it was important to develop an illustration style to create a simplified graphical representation of their scales, so geometry was employed.

Various design iterations and illustration styles were investigated. The brandmark had to be circular to work alongside their existing fund – Elephant Crisis Fund. Also, since Pangolins naturally curl up into a ball the client felt this would be the most natural form to employ.

Slightly curved, radial zig-zag lines helped to convey the scaly characteristic in a clean and simple illustration style. At large scale, a version featuring tapered paths was developed to convey their curved form. Conversely, for use at a smaller scale, the line weight was uniform to maximise legibility.

With the creative solution selected, before final tweaks and completion, mock-up designs were created to test the logo design across all possible scenarios and mediums. Here, additional scale-based graphic devices were developed should they be required. For video promotion and fundraising online an animated logo ident was also designed and developed.

Pangolin Crisis Fund