Press release

Friends of the Earth launches new brand identity

7 June 2012

Friends of the Earth has overhauled its brand identity and launched an ambitious direct-response drive aimed at signing up a wider range of people as donors and activists.

The 40-year-old environment charity, which has been responsible for a wide range of successes including bringing in doorstep recycling and the world's first Climate Change Act, has also revamped its visual identity, strapline and brand model.

The visual identity changes include a new iconic 'outline' device used in all communications, a custom-designed headline font and a colour palette broadened beyond green to include bold red, yellow and blue.

The new identity is tied together under the strapline 'See things differently' - highlighting the charity and its supporters' key insight that the wellbeing of people and the planet are one and the same thing.

Today (Thursday 7 June 2012) Friends of the Earth is staging a Manchester-based media stunt aimed at getting people to back one of its new campaigns by planting their kiss on their favourite cause at www.foe.co.uk/kiss. A 'kissmob' of red-clad couples kissing for the planet will hit the centre of the city accompanied by a mass give-away of hand grenade-shaped seed parcels, 'Kabloom Kissboms', which detonate to grow bee-friendly wildflower seeds when watered.

To boost interest in a suite of new campaigns the charity has recently launched, Friends of the Earth is asking people to choose which issue they care about most - saving the bees, championing clean British energy or making sure the everyday products we use don't harm the environment - under the banner 'A kiss means the world'.

The campaign is being supported by an outdoor advertising campaign in London and Manchester, ads and inserts in the national media and a direct mail drive, as well as a branded online hub and advertising push.

The new brand identity and advertising campaign were created by the Friends of Earth in-house Creative Department with the online element produced and coordinated by digital specialists Nonsense.

Joe Jenkins, Friends of the Earth's Director of Fundraising, Communications and Activism, said:

"It's a green cliché that people are to blame for the mess our planet is in - and many expect organisations like us to nag them about how they live their lives.

"But what drives Friends of the Earth and our supporters is the simple recognition that the wellbeing of the planet and the wellbeing of all of us on it are one and the same thing - and this is at the heart of our refreshed brand.

"From the dirty energy stitch-up to how vital bees are to our economy, our campaigns and our new brand identity aim to see things differently - to get more people involved in campaigning with us and funding our work."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1.       Friends of the Earth's Director of Fundraising, Communications and Activism Joe Jenkins is available for interview. Please contact Helen Dunk in the Friends of the Earth press office - 020 7566 1649 or helen.dunk@foe.co.uk.

2.       Find out more about Friends of the Earth's campaign at www.foe.co.uk/kiss or join in the conversation on Twitter @wwwfoecouk. Once 5,000 kisses have been planted on each campaign this will trigger an activity, from creating 60 jubilee bee-friendly wildflower gardens, to an investigation into Britain's broken energy system or launching an exposé into products that damage people and the planet.

3.       Friends of the Earth has recently launched two new flagship campaigns:

·         In early April we unveiled The Bee Cause, which is calling on David Cameron to save the economy billions by taking action to protect the bee. We made a big splash in the media and on Twitter by installing a wildflower garden on the South Bank for the launch and revealing new research which showed that it would cost the UK £1.8 billion every year to hand-pollinate crops without bees. The campaign is backed by a new website - www.foe.co.uk/bees - where people can take actions to 'unlock' bees and put pressure on Cameron to bring in a National Bee Action Plan.

·         In late April we launched our Clean British Energy campaign, which aims to fix our broken energy system. We recently polled the public and found that 85 per cent of Brits want David Cameron to force the Big Six energy companies to develop clean British power from renewable sources of energy - and ditch dirty fossil fuels. We'll shine a spotlight on how our energy supplies are dominated by just six big firms who rely on dirty and expensive gas and coal. We'll highlight ways Government can support clean British energy companies and cut energy waste to help bring bills down for hard-pressed households. You can find our more at www.cleanbritishenergy.co.uk.

4.       For further information about Nonsense visit www.nonsenselondon.com or contact Adam Hawes, Director of Client Services and Media, on 020 3176 0389 or adam@nonsenselondon.com.

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust