Rhino Recovery Fund Branding to avoid extinction

Wildlife Conservation Network [WCN] are a Californian based organisation. They protect endangered wildlife by supporting conservationists working to enable people and nature to coexist and thrive. Having collaborated on previous projects they approached design studio Superfried to develop the logo marque for the identity of their latest fund for the conservation of Rhinos.

This project quickly became one of the most challenging identities I have worked on. The client had initially requested an essence of realism for the logo. So extensive image research was conducted looking for common and consistent traits. However, it soon became apparent that Rhinos are rather an eclectic and strange looking beast. So when characterised and styled they can very quickly looked aggressive or simply just strange. 

With this realisation a new strategy was required. It was time to take a more abstract approach leading to the development of a quirky, distinct geometric style. The new direction was well received, with the separation of the horns helping to represent both the single and double horned species protected by the fund.

The light, elegant line work worked well at scale, however this would pose a risk on the small screen. To counter this, variations were developed in three different line weights – 18 options in total. To raise awareness for the cause, an animated logo ident was subsequently created to enhance online marketing material.