GROWING TOGETHER
What began as an inquiry about a new website turned into so much more. With existing marketing materials and branding over a decade old, it was time for a refresh across the board. What followed was a gradual rollout of an updated identity that was consistent with the incredible care and learning being done inside their walls.
DESIGN // ILLUSTRATION // PROJECT MANAGEMENT // WEB DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT // COPYWRITING // ART DIRECTION // PHOTOGRAPHY // CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES // APPAREL // VEHICLES GRAPHICS // SIGNAGE
OBJECTIVES
REFRESH
Create a playful, modern aesthetic along with updated marketing materials to communicate the quality of their program.
PERCEPTION
Too many families were unaware of just how different Jack & Jill was from a typical ‘childcare center’ so we set out to change that
GO BEYOND
Creating an annual cadence for their summer program and setting them up for years to come… even spending some time in the classroom teaching design
REFRESH EVERYTHING
It began with a logo refresh and moodboards for a new website, that, once launched would expand the updated brand into new and existing communications. An update to the identity for their summer program was also on the to-do list. Clean and playful visual identities were created that elevated their business, website, signage, vehicle graphics, branded apparel, and even their set of forms; bringing consistency to the brand they’d been missing.
PERCEived Expertise
In spite of being in business for over 20 years, along with the majority of their staff holding advanced degrees in early childhood education and development, many in the community still viewed Jack & Jill as a typical childcare center. Regularly communicating their stellar credentials and changing “Childcare” to “Early Childhood Learning” immediately elevated the perception to that of a premium choice. Touting the creation of their own curriculum that exceeds state standards didn’t hurt either. In other words…it was time to brag a little.
Beyond design
In order to keep things fresh and exciting, we created themes for the school age summer program. The “Build Your Own Summer” theme led to a focus on field trips and activities centered around math, science, and engineering, while “Level Up” brought a new focus on art, creativity, and technology related trips and activities.
CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
A two-day activity was put together to introduce school age kids to graphic design and real-world applications in an interactive, fun way. The children were given a quick overview of design before making their own “logo” for the summer program, which were then made into sticker sheets of each group’s logo. On day two, the designs were arranged by the group to create one shirt that incorporated elements of each group’s logo.
RESULTS
REFRESH
The new brand was a success. The center immediately felt more unified with matching consistent branding inside and out. The owl mascot made for a friendly, ‘wise’ representative of the program.
PErCEPTION
Communications about the exemplary curriculum, staff education levels, and being tapped to help establish state-wide childcare protocols during the pandemic all reinforced Jack & Jill’s place as a top-tier program in the state.
GO BEYOND
Summer enrollment has remained competitive in the face of school districts recent offerings of similar programs. From in-class design activities, children have gotten to experience practical and fun applications of design and technology!