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Switchboard is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a rebrand in collaboration with London-based design studio Nice And Serious. Switchboard is a British brand founded in 1974 and renowned for its telephone helpline for the LGBTQIA+ community. He has been involved in various charitable activities.
“We gathered as many perspectives as possible, including the voices of LGBTQIA+ members and volunteers, to ensure a broad sense of community while staying true to the Switchboard experience,” said Harriet Kindleysides, Senior Strategist at Nice and Serious. He said.
The rebranding theme is “A place for all conversations.” Nice and Serious realized that Switchboard was perceived as a brand to be found only in times of crisis. Additionally, the LBGT+ label limited who would see the brand. With this rebrand, we aimed to go beyond a crisis response helpline and become a space for everyone in the LGBTQIA+ community to speak their minds.
The helpline speaks to people in a variety of situations, including those in crisis, those in anxiety and those in celebration. Switchboard has created a voice and tone that can adapt to any conversation and situation. We've developed three core principles to help you respond to a variety of tones while maintaining your voice. The first is ‘sensitivity’ to have warm conversations with an open heart, the second is ‘trust’ to feel secure through solid faith, and the third is ‘shine the light’ to dream of hope and have clarity and confidence.
The new visual identity is inspired by 50 years of archives at Bishopsgate Institute. The pin badge and the pride gained from wearing it were key. Among many motifs, Switchboard chose 'double quotation marks' as it could symbolize the conversation it would expand upon. As it has become a vessel for various ‘conversations’, it has also become a constantly changing canvas.
We developed a flexible color system inspired by the rainbow flag, centered around Switchboard's iconic pink color. Bright colors are used for 'shining' moments, dark colors are used for 'reliant' moments, and pastel colors are used for 'sensitive' moments. I chose a typewriter-like font for the tactile feel of old notes.
This is a rebranding that embodies the power of the archive. Our actions so far are consistent and our direction for building and moving forward is clear, so our unique identity is intact. A compelling brand identity was created by combining well-established brand assets with contemporary expressions from talented professionals. Aside from the core graphic motif, various expressions are freely included, which is also a subtle charm.
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