London Jesuit Centre

A story of faith old and new

Brief

Win a three-way pitch to develop a new brand strategy and visual identity for the London Jesuit Centre (LJC)

Challenge

The Catholic Church has a declining audience of people mostly aged 45 and over and a reputation for doctrinal teachings from on high. The LJC also happens to be located in the heart of Mayfair, one of the most expensive and exclusive districts of London.

How do we rebrand the LJC for inclusive, co-creationist Millenials and Gen-Zs, when there are already several groups catering to younger Catholics, such as Soul Food, Nightfever and Youth 2000?

Solution

Being audience-led, guided by issues and values that resonate: community, co-creation, partnerships, and social and ecological justice.

Following desk research, interviews and a workshop, we produced the brand proposition Discover the world. Then Change It. We positioned the LJC as a fresh, creative space to explore ways to think and change, all rooted in the discovery of God’s love and 400 years of Ignatian spirituality and global community.

We developed three visual routes, colour-coding LJC’s core pillars, theology, spirituality, ecology, arts and culture, with a visual navigational language inspired by stained glass windows. We combined Mavros, a strong headline font that evoked manuscripts and a gothic revival, with clean, modern typefaces well-suited to digital content.

Result

The 3,000 young Catholics we tested our creative on found a clear winner, Tradition with a Twist, which was popular, modern, memorable and trusted, with strong colours. We’re looking forward to more results after the pandemic-delayed launch.