The Peel Institute, a Clerkenwell-based charity improving the lives of people within the community, has unveiled a new brand refresh designed to connect its vision with its brand values.

The refresh from Purple Creative aims to better convey the charity’s commitment to the local community, taking inspiration from the organisation's history to create a visual identity that resonates with audiences today.

The Peel was set up in 1898 to improve the lives of people within the Clerkenwell community. Its commitment to the community extends to its agency partner, selecting to work with Purple as a local neighbour.  

The refresh is inspired by the charity’s old annual reports, some of which date back more than 100 years. In the collection from the 1940s, drawings by Fougasse, a famous British artist and Punch cartoonist (real name Cyril Bird), had been drawn exclusively for The Peel. Fougasse was famous for his propaganda posters for the Ministry of Information during World War II, including the famous ‘Careless Talk Costs Lives’ series.

“When we delved into The Peel’s archive, we instinctively knew we’d stumbled on the big idea. Springboarding from Fougasse’s hand-drawn aesthetic, the new wordmark is warm, friendly and differentiated, capturing the people-first values at the heart of the charity. We were inspired by the past but have hopefully led The Peel into a new and exciting future,” explains Gwyn Edwards, Creative Director, Purple Creative 

The brand refresh encompasses all aspects of The Peel’s brand world, from its logo to its letterheads. A more energetic palette and typography style convey the charity’s dynamic mission, while a human-based photography style underlines a commitment to community. 

A new strapline reads: ‘The heart of the community since 1898’. While Fougasse’s iconic slogan ‘Up The Peel’ has been used as a dynamic call to action that can be applied to comms and merchandise moving forward.  

Looking to the charity’s past to reinforce its ongoing commitment to the Clerkenwell community, the visual refresh breathes new life into the historic and well-respected social charity.