In June 2020, as the NHS Test and Trace was being implemented following the initial COVID-19 wave, London faced a significant hurdle: low public confidence in testing. Surveys by London Councils and the GLA revealed that only 46% of Londoners were confident in accessing testing, with confidence dropping to 30% among Black, Asian, and other ethnic minority groups.
Acknowledging the limitations of the national communications campaign, a collaborative effort was launched. The GLA, NHS London, London Councils, and various London Boroughs formed a pan-London working group to devise a more impactful communications strategy. This new approach prioritised community insights, showcased diverse healthcare professionals, offered culturally appropriate translations, and employed adaptable design elements for dissemination across various regional and local platforms.
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Hackney Design Studio, was tasked with developing a complete branding system for London. This branding solution required clarity for all city inhabitants, the flexibility to reflect the unique character of each borough, and broad applicability for various agencies and organisations.
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By the end of June 2020, Keep London Safe was launched as a brand, designed by the Hackney Design Studio. The brand was used by all London boroughs, making it the most seen brand in London. It created local buy-in by enabling boroughs to localise the brand from ‘Keep London Safe’ to ‘Keep Croydon Safe’ or, at a hyper-local level, ‘Keep Stamford Hill’ safe when addressing specific, geographically located communities.
The flexible design of the campaign enabled, for example, the use of hyper-local and international approaches to specific challenges. For example, the Charedi community in Stamford Hill was addressed through existing one-to-one relationships between the Council and the community, door-to-door leafleting, WhatsApp videos and working with the Foreign Office, buying advertising in media that was being read by that community in the US, Belgium and Israel.
Brand guidelines
Campaign around the capital
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