Client
League
When League Against Cruel Sports needed help re-engaging with both their existing audience and potential new supporters, we gave them a solution which elevated and dignified persecuted animals, highlighting their inherent, natural beauty. This was at odds with the visceral, alarmist communication from all the other charities in their sector. Showing them in this way challenges us all to react with ‘Humanity for Animals’.
For almost a century, The League Against Cruel Sports has actively fought to ban animal hunting in the UK. Whilst a great deal has been achieved during that time, it is a charity which continues to strive for change.
We recognised that the League had become an organisation defined by its campaigning behaviours, rather than a core idea, and the absence of a clear positioning led to misunderstandings and misrepresentations.
The League needed a simple and compelling expression of identity, and the opportunity to re-engage with existing and potential new supporters that felt assured about what they were part of. It was important for the League to create a strong position amongst animal welfare organisations, to ensure its enemies can’t portray it incorrectly in the media.
Determined to uncover who the League really is and to get to the heart of the issue, we identified that the charity is about changing human behaviour towards animals, rather than just about the animals themselves, and created the idea of ‘Humanity for Animals’. Like many charities, the League had previously portrayed animals as tortured victims, often leaving audiences feeling powerless themselves. ‘Humanity for Animals’ creates the distinction that the League needed – it’s all about acting for animals as anyone should, who is truly human.
We created a visual positioning that shows the joy in the human and animal relationship, with the thought of ‘Soul to Soul’. The photographic style banishes the weak and helpless creature persona, and instead adopts a positive, dignified and confident stance. In essence, we wanted to do the animal justice, replicating how you as a human would want to be portrayed. By depicting the animals in this light, it really makes audiences consider the inhumanity behind torturing such beautiful creatures.
The work ASHA & Co has done has really helped our positioning, we possess more depth and gravitas, we take a more professional approach. It's also helped change our conversations with the police force, as we've essentially now taken on a different debate.
Philippa King,
League Against Cruel Sports
In order to express the League’s main activities, we created three simple categories that encapsulate everything it does, and run through the visual identity – ‘investigate’, ‘educate’ and ‘protect’. Additionally, we developed a simple descriptor, which is housed within the League brand mark, Defending Persecuted Animals.
ASHA & Co really drove to the heart of who we are. In doing this they gave us the means to uniquely express the work we do. They gave us something people could really care about.
Eduardo Goncalves, CEO
A signature range of products themed around core campaigns was developed. The merchandise, including dog bowls and leads, riding jackets, as well as t-shirts and mugs, features appropriate tone of voice promoting animal welfare.
5million
viewers reached with a BBC report on an international network of dog fighters, exposed by League Against Cruel Sports
45,000
new Twitter followers since the rebrand
6million
readers reached with an article in The Times showcasing the loopholes being exploited in stag hunting
The identity has given the League a unique toolkit with which to get their message across, whether online or through protests and activism on the ground.
