Cancer Research UK connects scientific progress with human impact in brand refresh
Melanie May | 5 September 2023 | News
Cancer Research UK has refreshed its brand to link its scientific and research progress with what this means for cancer patients and their families, with the aim of increasing awareness of the charity’s purpose and impact, as well as support for its work.
The refresh, undertaken with design agency Design Bridge and Partners, includes a shift in the strapline from ‘Together we will beat cancer’ to ‘Together we are beating cancer’. This is to help move the charity away from the idea of finding a ‘single cure for cancer’, towards focusing on the progress being made every day by scientists and researchers across the UK.
Cancer Research UK’s ‘dot’ logo, which represents moments coming together to tell the story of cumulative progress to beat cancer, has also been simplified, and a new photography style capturing genuine and authentic moments will be used.
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The refreshed brand is part of Cancer Research UK’s long-term strategy published in March last year: Making Discoveries, Driving Progress, Bringing Hope. This outlined five objectives – Discover, Translate, Engage, Partner and Sustain – that the charity will focus on, with the refresh a key aspect of ‘Engage’. The charity wants to connect with people in deeper, more meaningful ways and inspire millions more to join it in its mission to beat cancer.
Commenting on the refresh, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, Michelle Mitchell OBE, said:
“We’ve come so far but the reality is survival isn’t improving as quickly as we would like. Cancer is one of the world’s greatest health challenges and we’re at a moment of huge opportunity in terms of our ability to understand it and find ways to beat it. We need to seize that opportunity, and research holds the key. We rely on the generosity of the public to continue the pace of our vital work and the perception of our brand is crucial to whether people decide to support us. In a competitive fundraising environment, we must stand out with a compelling message of who we are and the impact we’re having. We have an incredible story to tell, and we need to be better at telling it.
“Our refreshed brand will do this. We’re shining a brighter light on our science and research and the impact it’s having, so people see and feel that our progress is their progress. It’s only happening thanks to their generous support. Cancer is a complex disease, without one single cure. With global collaboration, it will be beaten step by step through small victories. And we’re making those victories. By providing a deeper understanding of how our world-class, cutting-edge research is making an incredible difference right now, we want to inspire people to see our pioneering work as the solution to beating cancer. By doing this, we’ll be able to bring everyone together even more strongly to achieve our vision of a world where everybody lives longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.”
To mark the brand refresh, Cancer Research UK launched a new advertising campaign, called ‘We Are’, which has been developed with Anomaly. It features people affected by cancer enjoying moments such as milestone birthdays, date nights, and playing sports with friends, made possible through the scientific breakthroughs.
The campaign runs on TV, radio, outdoor, VOD, digital and social media.
Last week Cancer Research UK published its annual report and accounts, which show that after income falling during the pandemic, in 22/23 the charity raised a total of £719mn, £51mn more than the previous year. This was due to donations from supporters, a strong performance from shops, a rise in the value of legacies received, and income from the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.