After 70 years of leading the fight against animal cruelty, the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International were experiencing a decline in cultural relevance. Their donor base was aging, awareness was dropping, and the brand struggled to resonate with younger audiences. At the same time, public conversations around animal welfare had become saturated with graphic imagery and guilt-driven messaging.
A rebrand alone would not solve the problem. The organization needed a complete shift in visual and emotional tone, something bold, joyful, and unexpected. This was the moment to reintroduce themselves to the world with a design-led identity that could reconnect with culture.
We launched Humane World for Animals with a distinctive visual approach rooted in optimism. Instead of focusing on animal suffering, we built a literal animal print using silhouettes from the new logo, designed to feel playful, free, and full of movement. The design became the engine for a global reintroduction across fashion, music, digital media, and public space.
This was not just a cosmetic update. It was a shift in how the brand communicates its values, using design to meet audiences where they are now: in culture, not just campaigns. At a time when activism can feel heavy, this work invited people back in through beauty, creativity, and connection.
To launch the new branding for Humane World for Animals, we were challenged to create a visual identity that felt fresh and distinctive, something more meaningful than simply applying a logo across every asset. Our solution was to design a literal “animal print” made up of carefully arranged animal silhouettes that had been part of the brand’s visual identity for over 70 years.
This wasn’t a basic repeating pattern. Each silhouette was thoughtfully selected and placed to create a fluid, dynamic composition. The design invited viewers to discover new details with every glance. Every animal was positioned to feel natural, active, and alive. Our biggest creative challenge was ensuring the pattern remained engaging and energetic, avoiding the static feel of traditional grids or repetitive motifs.
We launched with a teaser campaign featuring a bold red version of our custom animal print across billboards in London, Sydney, Toronto, India, and New York City, announcing the rebrand’s arrival on February 14, 2025. The pattern, created from the new logo’s animal silhouettes, became the foundation of the visual identity.
To expand the design’s cultural relevance, we partnered with Christian Siriano, who crafted a couture gown using custom-printed fabric from twenty brand colorways. Worn by Grammy-nominated artist Sia during a national television performance, the dress debuted the full visual system in motion.
On Valentine's Day, the billboards transformed into vibrant versions of the print, paired with headlines like “The end of animal cruelty.” The design was extended through social media, a CGI video, a live performance backdrop, and an album cover. Every element reinforced the pattern as a living, scalable design asset that defined the brand across platforms and experiences.
We successfully created a campaign that resonated across generations by anchoring the new brand identity in a pattern that honored its visual history while feeling contemporary and vibrant. Collaborating with Sia and leveraging social media allowed us to connect powerfully with younger audiences and build global awareness. The result was a cohesive yet captivating creative execution that not only introduced the new name and look but did so in a visually unforgettable way.
We received 2.2B impressions in the first 2 weeks of our campaign, introducing the brand to new potential donors around the world. The brand saw a 3x increase in impressions and direct traffic to their website during launch, and search volume of “Humane World for Animals” increased by 55x.
We earned 329M organic social impressions and 220M digital impressions (549% more than planned).
The Out-Of-Home campaign delivered 203M global impressions.
The brand wanted to be more well known and recognizable, and the numbers proved that we were getting their new name, logo, and messaging to the world.
And that was just in the first quarter of the year. The campaign is continuing to grow with an additional 169M media impressions in Q2.
