The Best Church Branding You’ve Never Seen

Summary

This video highlights the rebranding of Saint Church in London, a historic Anglican church undergoing major restoration. The creative agency Omse took inspiration from the church's stained glass windows, using their arched shape across branding elements like the logo, signage, merchandise, and website. Unique offshoots were made for different church programs, translating the formal brand into playful illustrations for kids' ministries. Overall it honors Saint Church’s rich heritage while establishing a clear, audience-focused identity to carry this community pillar into the future.

Takeaways

• 😊 The video highlights an impressive church rebranding project by Saint Church in London and creative agency Omse
• 🏛️ Saint Church has a long history dating back to 1275 AD, with the current iconic building constructed in 1792
• 💡 The inspiration for the rebrand came from the stained glass windows in the church building
• 🖼️ The core logo features an arched window outline combined with a cross
• 🔀 The window shape is adapted as a frame for various branding elements like stickers, tags, and signage
• 🎨 Vibrant, playful illustrations were created for the kids' programs
• ⏩ The brand flexibly transforms across different audiences and contexts
• ✨ The restoration enabled the venue to also host musical performances
• 📍 Clear visitor information is provided on the redesigned website
• 🤔 The script asks viewers to share thoughts on this impressive church rebrand

Q & A

What prompted Saint Church's rebranding project?

The church's building was undergoing a massive restoration, which included transforming it into a world-class music and events venue thanks to lottery funding. They wanted the rebranding to align with this new vision.

Where does the design inspiration for the new branding come from?

The stained glass windows in the church building. The creative agency took the arched window outline and incorporated it into the new logo and visual identity.

How does the new branding balance the church's history and modern context?

By using the historic window outline across modern applications like stickers, name tags, merch, etc. It acts as a frame to root the brand in the past while allowing creative expressions that point towards the future.

What makes the illustration style used for the kids' ministry unique?

It takes the formal church branding and adapts it into a playful, engaging style specifically for children. This shows the flexibility of the identity.

What fonts are used in the rebrand?

GT Alpina, a Roman serif, is used for headlines and body copy. Dinamo's Ginto sans-serif is used for the youth programs to give them more energy.

How can visitors plan their trip to see the church's new branding?

The church website has a user-friendly "Plan Your Visit" page detailing transportation, parking, accessibility info, service times, order of service, and more.

How does the rebrand transform based on audience?

From formal use in main church context to playful illustrations for kids' programs. The creative director said a key brand parameter is using imagery/style as a differentiator.

What was the budget for the building restoration project?

The total budget was £6 million. £2 million of that came from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

How far back does the church building itself date?

The current building opened in 1792, but the church dates back to 1275 when Hackney's medieval parish church was constructed.

Why does the building qualify as a historic structure?

It's designated as a Grade 2 historic structure in the UK, which recognizes buildings of special interest warranting every effort to preserve them.