Sumatran Orangutan Society L E A F – Branding for conservation

Leuser Ecosystem Action Fund [LEAF] is an environmental organisation administered by the Sumatran Orangutan Society [SOS]. It was co-founded with the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation to protect critically endangered species and habitats on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The Leuser Ecosystem is the last remaining location where orangutans, rhinos, elephants, and tigers still coexist in the wild. Graphic design agency Superfried was appointed to develop their brand identity.

Since there were four very different species involved, my initial thought was to simplify the problem via a creative strategy making use of typographic designs, playing on the very apt acronym – LEAF. However, the results lacked impact and sufficient connection to what was truly at stake.

A rethink of the design strategy was required. With the focus back on the animals the brandmark needed to feature all four species since they were all of equal importance. I initially looked for commonality amongst them, but they are a very eclectic bunch. Their heterogeneous nature also meant finding a distinct illustration style that would work for all to be rather elusive.

To maintain recognition – and a suitably serious tone – a simpler silhouette illustration style was adopted. With the requirement to include four separate species, space, and scale would now be a challenge. After numerous design iterations, for practicality the illustrations were subsequently overlapped, alternating between black and white, to achieve a more concise footprint for the brandmark design.

Looking at the typography for the logotype design, as usual, bespoke, typographic designs were developed. With such a long name, the strong acronym was useful. A simultaneous acronym [vertical] combined with the name in full [horizontal] composition was devised for the logotype design. This was effective both in isolation or within a horizontal logo lock-up, with the logotype reduced to just the acronym at small scale. However, this would prove impractical for use when the width was limited. Consequently, a roundel design was also developed.

The final creative solution was tested thoroughly via brand-led mock-ups – visuals shown – of stationery, merchandise, and marketing material to ensure the brand identity would be sufficiently versatile across all media and scenarios. To raise awareness and donations, campaign advertisements for use on social media were designed. To enhance their use of video, an animated logo ident was also created. With art direction, the client then subsequently applied the new brand identity to their existing website.

L E A F website

Sumatran Orangutan Society