Courage Collective appointed The Open Arms to develop a new name and visual identity that could honour its history while representing its approach to holistic, trauma-informed care.
Courage Collective Family Violence Services (formerly Georgina Martina Inc.) has operated as one of Australia’s longest-standing family violence refuges for more than 50 years.
“For decades we have been helping people through some of the most traumatic times in their lives, so our previous name held significance for many staff and victim-survivors alike. Changing it is not something we approached lightly. From the beginning, The Open Arms showed up as a partner, not an agency, working alongside our staff and Board with care, respect and strategic clarity.” said Courage Collective chief executive Michal Morris.
The Open Arms led conversations with staff, board members and victim-survivors to develop a brand strategy and positioning that informed the thinking behind the new name. It was then brought to life via a visual identity, brand language, collateral and new website.
“The more we understood how Courage Collective works, the more the name needed to represent both the journey of victim-survivors and the strength of the staff helping make new futures possible.” said The Open Arms creative partner Jess Lilley.
The new name aims to reflect the courage it takes for victim-survivors to leave, to speak up, and to rebuild their lives. It also represents the advocacy practiced throughout the organisation.
The Open Arms developed a visual world built on intersecting shapes and a new colour palette. Each shape represents a building block victim-survivors need to establish a new life.
The elements map directly to Courage Collective’s services: crisis accommodation (the blue house), practical support (the blue steps), therapeutic interventions (the purple flower), and dedicated support for children and young people (the yellow stacks).
“for me the most moving asset we created was the keyring, to be given to residents on their arrival, representing hope for a new beginning.” Lilley said.
The Open Arms strategic partner Amy Hollier said: “this is a great example of putting our strategic tool, The Empathy Model, into practice to fuel creative thinking that has resulted in a powerful brand language. Bringing it to life as a new website and through other channels has been so rewarding. Courage Collective has a long legacy of feminism, care and innovation. We are honoured to have played a small part in their remarkable journey, partnering with a brilliant team.”
“The creative result of this partnership is a brand that feels both brave and grounded; a powerful expression of who we are and where we’re going. Our team is ecstatic. The work has given us renewed confidence, cohesion and momentum for the future.” Michal Morris added.
CREDITS
Michal Morris, CEO, Courage Collective
Alice Allan, Communications and Project Officer, Courage Collective
Creative Agency, The Open Arms
Jess Lilley, Creative Partner, The Open Arms
Amy Hollier, Strategy Partner, The Open Arms
Shyaire Ganglani, Creative Concepts
Ant Yee, Graphic Design
Caro Latorraca, Graphic Design
Chriate, Website Development
Laura May Grogan, Website Photography
