The Phillips & Marek team was retained to conduct a brand refresh for the Catholic Mobilizing Network (CMN), a Washington DC-based organization that exists to mobilize Catholics and all people of “goodwill” to value life over death, end the use of the death penalty, transform the U.S. criminal legal system from punitive to restorative, as well as build capacity for the use of restorative practices.
Refreshed logo (see rationale and original logo below)
In support of CMN’s goal to present their organization in a more youthful, relevant manner to attract a new generation of volunteers, advocates and supporters, our work fell into four key areas:
-
Understand the brand and CMN’s goals
-
Conduct a brand audit to serve as a basis for our work
-
Present recommendations within our client’s budget
-
Develop a visual and editorial brand guide for long-term consistency
Work began with a brand audit that involved in-depth interviews with key stakeholders representing faith-based thought leaders, anti-death penalty advocates, Catholic media, family members of murdered victims and past CMN donors. We also tested messaging among approximately 20 non-Catholic adults ranging in age from 24-55, which proved helpful in the development of recommendations to reach broader audiences.
Our high-level recommendations fell into three major categories:
-
REFRESH the brand to ensure CMN stays relevant and embodies a sense of urgency and energy.
-
INFORM audiences about the goals of the organization in a way that facilitates understanding of the mission and key concepts like restorative justice.
-
EXPAND engagement with the organization in a way that welcomes younger audiences.
The audit revealed a misperception about the meaning of “restorative justice,” even among those actively fighting to abolish the death penalty. This led to a key recommendation of developing a new tagline based on two guiding principles:
-
Describe the organization’s purpose in a way that lends clarity to the name.
-
Maintain the essence of the current tagline, while eliminating confusion and misunderstanding associated with the phrase “restorative justice.”
ORIGINAL TAGLINE
Ending the death penalty. Promoting restorative justice.
NEW TAGLINE
End the death penalty • Advance justice • Begin healing
​
The visual samples below represent how our team translated valuable input gathered from our clients and the audit process into a refreshed brand that will support CMN for many years to come. In addition, we provided a visual and editorial brand guide for their staff’s use to ensure ongoing consistency, clarity and brand adherence.
Brochure and social media graphics
Pattern: Using elements from the CMN logo, the interconnected circular pattern symbolizes each of us surrounded and healed by God's love and forgiveness.
Sample pages from the CMN Brand Guide
Visual Brand Overview
The elements of the refreshed logo are threefold: communion, Cavalry, and the cross. An overview of its symbolism and meaning are below.
Communion – The sacrament of Holy Communion fosters spiritual healing, forgiveness and reconciliation, while promoting compassion and right relationship with God and neighbor. The symbol of communion in the CMN logo is represented by an inner circle and an outer edge. These elements signify the power of the collective—a continuous flow of energy and action among individuals, communities and other organizations with shared values and goals. By mobilizing circles of like-minded individuals, our collective efforts are organized and directed toward our highest goals.
Calvary – Represented by the dark space within the logo, Calvary is a place of immense pain, as well as profound redemption, transformation and love. This is where forgiveness and reconciliation serve as a foundation of CMN’s work toward ending the death penalty, reimagining justice and advocating for collective healing.
Cross – Standing on the foundation of Calvary is the cross, a symbol of sacrifice, redemption, the ultimate act of love, as well as an example of the death penalty in practice. Within the beams of the cross we find our network. The horizontal beam symbolizes the relationship among individuals and the call to love one another; the vertical beam represents the connection between God and humanity. Within this vertical beam we travel together on a path toward God, void of a top boundary in the logo, where we follow the example of Christ’s selfless love toward others.
Refreshed logo
Original logo
Palette: Two primary reds; secondary midnight blue; two tertiary colors (Sanctuary Blue for death penalty and Guided Sage for restorative justice.)