Radical Redesign

Transforming a brand from the inside out.

Client: Esquimalt MFRC // Branding, Graphic Design, Web Design

The Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to assisting military members and their friends & families as they adapt to the unique challenges of the military lifestyle. The organization faced some unique challenges of its own and turned to Oculus for help.

Marketing and brand audits identified some clear misconceptions among their target audiences that were hurting the organization’s brand perception. Two problematic aspects of the current brand identity related to the use of ‘Military’ and ‘Family’ – both words carrying a great deal of baggage and preconceptions about who the MFRC was for and who they reported to. In order to clearly identify the MFRC as an independent organization for all members of the military community, a new brand identity and fresh communication approach was needed.

After completing an in-depth Brand Clarity workshop, we designed a new identity that eschewed the full name for the already-recognized acronym MFRC and clearly set the organization apart from the sea of red, white and black brand identities bombarding the military community.

We also identified a number of ‘myths’ that needed addressing to help the organization build trust and expand its reach within the community it serves.

We took a very direct approach to the problem, calling out the misconceptions and reframing them through a series of campaigns across print, digital and environmental platforms.

"The process of gaining brand clarity was excellent and gave us the opportunity to talk about our work in a new way and to build a brand essence that spoke to the core of who we are, what we do and how we do it! The tangible deliverables from the work that Matt guided us through have been well received by our community and stakeholders. Additionally, it has been interesting to see how the Brand Brief has sparked within our organization and positively impacted our program planning, marketing and communications. This was a terrific experience for us and we continue to grow as we endeavour to really be authentic and true to our Brand."

Stronger Together

Fully embracing their brand's essence and values, the Esquimalt MFRC continues to transform its touchpoints and roll out new campaigns and innovative programs & communications that set the bar for the rest of the country.