Identity Redesign For White Ribbon
The twist: the new mark isn’t just a ribbon—it’s connection.
Blok Design partnered with White Ribbon, the world’s largest movement of men and allies working to end gender-based violence, to reimagine their visual identity. The new design expresses the organization’s passion and energy while balancing humanity and connectivity, maintaining recognition and brand equity.
Insights
- Blok Design redesigned White Ribbon’s identity for the world’s largest movement of men, boys, and allies working to end gender-based violence and discrimination—so the challenge wasn’t awareness, it was evolving a widely recognized symbol while “remaining recognizable” and “rooted in the brand’s established equity.”
- The core design brief focused on translating organizational tone—“driven by passion and energy,” “relentless spirit,” and an “expansive approach”—into a more expressive visual language, while still balancing “humanity and connectivity” in the logo.
- The rebrand sits on top of a heavy origin story: the 1989 Montréal École Polytechnique tragedy (14 women killed) that sparked a national reckoning, followed by the White Ribbon Campaign’s launch in Toronto in 1991—meaning the identity needed to honor memorial gravity while supporting forward-looking activism.
- The organization’s current positioning (mission statement: “White Ribbon promotes healthy masculinities, advances gender equity and builds allyship”) and values (Gender Justice, Collaboration, Anti-Oppression, Integrity, Compassion, Innovation) imply the identity system must flex across education, empathy, and accountability messaging—not just campaign visuals.
- The redesign aligns with White Ribbon’s 2023–2027 Strategic Plan and its three pillars—Building allyship, Driving culture change, Strengthening sustainability—suggesting a brand system built for multi-channel programs (workshops, workplaces/technical assistance, campaigns, publications, shop, donation flows) where clarity and recognition are as critical as energy and modernity.
