Pet Refuge →
Design / Storytelling / Film / Photography / Production / Brand Strategy
Pet refuge came to us to help evolve both the brand identity system and brand organisation across its various layers of activity. Working across direct appeal campaigns, longer form storytelling work and wider brand awareness and understanding touchpoint we were thrilled to be helping this incredible team and their important work.
We adopted a more consistent and focused approach for the various areas of activity while always placing the pet at the heart of the story. Creating a direct typographic and language approach and a signature photographic style and structure for longer form storytelling, we were able to empower the Pet Refuge to powerfully land their key messages.
At an understanding level we were hoping to provoke viewers and achieve the ‘penny drop’ moment for the charity where you come to understand that we are not simply talking about a safe home for pets, but revealing the sad truth that violent partners often use pets as leverage to keep family members from leaving abusive homes. Bringing this reality to life was both confronting and critical to the impact of the communications.
The Pet Refuge exists to uncouple that risk and leverage from the situation so both the pet and the family can escape domestic violence safely, Caring for the pets until they can be reunited once the family is safely away from the abusive partner and has found a new home to rebuild their lives. This is incredibly challenging and important work which we are very proud to contribute to. And we have seen powerful progress in both the engagement and financial performance from their campaigns since our involvement began.
Central to this challenge is positioning the beloved pet as both a victim of violence but also leverage for the violence. Where the pet is often used as a cruel warning and intimidation tactic by the abuser to infer the damage that could be done to other family members. Sadly this often resulted in families not being able to escape an abusive home for fear of what might happen to their pets.
