Auburn Theological Seminary’s static logo and materials didn’t communicate their bold and progressive work with leaders of all faiths. Through our brandraising process, Big Duck helped Auburn emerge with a revitalized visual identity, messaging platform, website, and brochure.
Building a bold, progressive brand
Visual identity
Client Challenge
Auburn’s leaders knew that their communications needed rethinking, and Big Duck’s research revealed three key reasons why. First, Auburn’s materials weren’t conveying the dynamic nature of their work and their focus on religious leadership. Second, their audiences didn’t fully understand the range of Auburn’s programs. And third, Auburn’s different programs were communicating in silos, rather than speaking with one voice as a unified organization .
Creative Thinking
Through the brandraising process, we began by defining their positioning and personality to articulate Auburn’s big idea and unique tone and to serve as a strategy for all further work. We recommended emphasizing “Auburn” in the name, and we wrote a new tagline to help express that Auburn is more than a seminary. . We also created a new visual identity, and worked with Auburn to apply it to materials like print collateral and a new website.
“Our new logo can be seen as many things—the globe itself, observed from a distance, or as expressing the transforming power of water, which is central to so many faiths. The ragged edge implies that the work is unfinished, and it invites us all to reach toward our highest aspirations, summarized in our new tagline: Trouble the waters. Heal the world.”
-The Rev. Dr. Katharine Rhodes Henderson, President
The Results
At the end of the brandraising process, Auburn had a complete brand strategy, visual identity, updated messaging platform, and key materials. We captured all of these elements of their brand in a brandraising guide and trained Auburn’s staff on how to use it, so that they are now equipped with the tools and skills they need to create any new materials and to communicate more clearly, cohesively and effectively.
