Make-A-Wish Foundation® Launches New Brand Identity

Make-A-Wish Foundation of America
Thursday, 27 January 2000

PHOENIX (January 27, 2000) – In conjunction with its 20th birthday year, the Make-A-Wish Foundation recently rolled out an updated brand identity, revolving around a new corporate logo.

"The Make-A-Wish brand is one of our most valuable assets," said Paula Van Ness, president and CEO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. "When people see our brand, we want them to know that it stands for a set of strong values – values such as hope, integrity and compassion."

Since the Make-A-Wish Foundation's inception in 1980, the organization had never undergone a comprehensive brand review. As the organization matured, a growing need arose for a powerful, compelling and consistent corporate identity.

"Given that the year 2000 marks the Make-A-Wish Foundation's 20th year of granting amazing wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses, it seemed to be a perfect time to ensure that our corporate identity is reflective of our public image," said Van Ness.

The brand identity redesign effort was initiated as a result of several issues associated with the wishbone icon:

Public Recognition

In early 1999, the Make-A-Wish Foundation conducted a market research study, through nationally-respected Sundel Research in Denver, to measure awareness of the organization's name and corporate logo – the wishbone icon – in communities across the country. The results indicated that the Make-A-Wish Foundation name is virtually ubiquitous, with an awareness level of more than 95 percent, placing recognition of the Make-A-Wish Foundation name among the top of all charities in the country. However, the research also reflected that fewer than one in four members of the public link the wishbone icon with the Make-A-Wish Foundation

Versatility

As configured, the wishbone icon and accompanying Make-A-Wish Foundation name were imbalanced and ill-proportioned, and could not be fit into tight spots, necessitating enlargement to ridiculous proportions for readability.

Cultural Sensitivity

Both domestically and internationally, the ribboned wishbone proved to be culturally ambiguous, as bones and ribbons have a wide variety of cultural connotations

While the ribboned wishbone will always be a part of the Make-A-Wish culture – it was determined not to be the proper, quintessential symbol of the Make-A-Wish Foundation brand identity.

Based on these issues, the Make-A-Wish Foundation retained the services of Luxon-Carra, a global branding firm, which has crafted brand identity packages for such companies as Intel, Apple Computer, Andersen Consulting, Wells Fargo and Toyota.

After extensive surveying of key audiences, including corporate donors, volunteers, chapter and National Office staff and wish families, and evaluating hundreds of possible logo options, Luxon-Carra recommended a powerful new identity to communicate the core values associated with the Make-A-Wish Foundation brand – hope, compassion and integrity.

The core identity consists of a primary and secondary logo and a wishbone seal, which serves as a supporting element on Make-A-Wish® communications.

The Foundation will be transitioning the new identity throughout its 80 chapters in the United States and its territories and 20 international affiliates during the course of the next eight months.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants wishes to children under the age of 18 with life-threatening illnesses. It is the largest wish-granting organization in the world with 80 chapters in the United States and its territories and 20 international affiliates, spanning five continents. Through private donations and the efforts of more than 18,000 volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has granted more than 73,000 wishes around the world since its inception in 1980 — more than 9,600 last year alone. children in the United States and more than 7,000 in other countries since being founded in 1980.

For more information, or to contact Make-A-Wish Foundation of America, see their website at: www.wish.org