Branding Challenge
Wedged among a variety of other retail stores and businesses, the Bainbridge Recovery Club (BRC) wouldn’t catch your eye. Unless you had a reason to be there, you’d probably pass right by. However, behind this under-the-radar location lies a very special purpose: To provide people in recovery with a safe place to be.
When you’re an addict, any alone time breeds temptation. BRC is a home away from home, offering people in recovery shelter and a support group that can help them stay on the right path. It’s simple, but it’s saving lives every single day.
While the club had a name, it needed a brand identity that embodied its purpose and audience. designRoom had a connection with the founder and offered to build the brand from the ground up as a pro bono project. It wasn’t our biggest client, but it gave us the opportunity to micro-market and build a brand that helps people. It’s what we’re all about.
Branding Insight
Early on, we visited the facility to interview key stakeholders and take some photographs of the space so we could build a brand that resonated with its community. Since teens and young adults aren’t the most vocal, we gathered data by placing anonymous comment boxes throughout the club’s communal areas. The low-tech approach gave us tremendous testimonials about the impact BRC was having on people’s lives.
Branding Solution
After reviewing the photography and testimonials, we decided that the creative needed to evoke safety and community, while also being youthful and vibrant.
The new logo leveraged the photos we took of original murals and sketches that decorate the walls of the hallways and recreation rooms of the club. If you had visited the space before, the logo would be instantly recognizable and impactful.
In addition to the logo, we developed a clarifying tagline, Hang out in recovery, and a brochure that could be used to solicit donations and as a referral tool for rehabilitation centers and counselors. The brochure reinforces BRC’s sense of safety, letting people know there’s always a seat at the table for them.
Branding Impact
The fresh brand identity and informative brochure gave BRC the opportunity to engage and influence more people, including prospective donors, treatment providers, counselors, and most importantly, those in recovery. Since our work launched, the club has secured private funding and continues to be filled with recovering people who often need, more than anything, a healthy place to hang out.
“I love the BRC! It helped me in my recovery and still does! Just for today ”
- Nick