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Behind the Work in association withThe Immortal Awards
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How Anomaly Toronto Built a Brand Identity for the Chadwick Boseman Foundation for the Arts

21/12/2022
Advertising Agency
Toronto, Canada
157
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Anomaly Toronto’s Candace Borland explains what it took to develop a memorable and strategic brand positioning for the Foundation’s launch, writes LBB’s Josh Neufeldt

On November 11th 2022, the Chadwick Boseman Foundation for the Arts (CBFA) launched - coinciding with the release of ‘Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever’. Designed to continue the actor’s legacy by supporting the intellectual, spiritual and artistic growth of the new generation of Black artists, the foundation has provided scholarships, grants, lifelong mentorship and support to young Black creatives at Howard University - shaping the next generation of cultural leaders in the process. 

However, to accomplish these goals, the Foundation needed to cultivate a positioning and identity that represented its deep-rooted values - while also paying reverence to the Black artistic culture and heritage beyond its namesake. Enter Anomaly Toronto. Working together, the two started out by creating an enduring and memorable strategic positioning and visual brand identity. Initially designed to draw aspiring beneficiaries and prospective donors, the quality of the work was so good that this relationship quickly evolved to the point where Anomaly Toronto was also providing the foundation’s social playbook, as well as designing merchandise and creating a website. 

To learn more about how this relationship came to pass, and what the process looked like, LBB’s Josh Neufeldt sat down with Anomaly Toronto partner and president Candace Borland, discussing everything from merchandise design to the emotion that came with working on this project. 


LBB> Anomaly was tasked with creating a distinct and memorable strategic positioning and visual brand identity for the CBFA. How did this come to pass, and where does one start with a task like this?


Candace> Past purpose-based work from Anomaly and affiliate company Activista had caught the organisation's attention, so CBFA reached out to Anomaly. In this case, Simone Ledward-Boseman, our main client, has a clear vision of bringing Chadwick Boseman's legacy to life through the critical support of creative endeavours within the Black community. Understanding the important role that art plays in culture and community was key to how Anomaly positioned the Foundation's communications. For us, it was about underscoring the importance of supporting, protecting and honouring the essence and tradition of creativity and storytelling that stretches across generations within the African diaspora, and is at the core of the Foundation's strategy.



LBB> What were your goals for this process? Given that Chadwick’s passing is still a tragedy that’s felt worldwide, did that influence the way you approached this responsibility? 


Candace> Being entrusted to be the voice of a community and to represent such an important cultural figure is a privilege that we hold with the utmost regard and responsibility. We were very intentional in the visual identity elements that paid homage to Chadwick, ensuring that we celebrated his life and his achievements without distracting from the core mission of the Foundation - uplifting Black creative talent.

  • The logo, ‘The Crown’, is a spark of light that was inspired by and represents the people of the African diaspora. It is grounded in an opening and unlocking of potential, and is surrounded by threads weaving together the past, present and future of the Black community’s journeys, stories and legacies. It is also an inverted ‘C’.
  • The wordmark, ‘For the arts’, is thoughtfully handwritten as a nod to the humanity and individuality that the Foundation is inspired by and supports. The handwriting also pays homage to Chadwick’s legacy of handwritten notes, through which he added his own thoughtfulness to the everyday.
  • The brand colour palette is inspired by and derived from the sunsets and sunrises of the ancestral plane. A balance of soft and bold reflects a deep connection to Chadwick’s roots and legacy.


LBB> What was the collaboration like? Did the CBFA let you take the reins, or was there a lot of back and forth?


Candace> Starting out, it was important that we ensured the team working with the CBFA had a strong multicultural background, and that they worked hard and thoroughly to learn and understand the community. After a few strategic and design meetings, the relationship quickly turned into a trusted partnership, as the Foundation recognised the team's thoroughness and attention to detail in developing ownable and distinct assets.



LBB> Anomaly is responsible for the CBFA’s new social playbook and outputs. How were these developed, and what are your goals and ambitions for this? 


Candace> As a new organisation in the non-profit space, it was important for us to increase awareness and encourage engagement across their social pages. The social strategy focuses on building support for the Foundation by rallying people around their shared belief in the power of arts through the lens of the African diaspora. This framework is reflected in the content which is designed to educate, inspire and foster community. Since launch, the CBFA’s Instagram following has grown from 8,000 followers to 26.1K.



LBB> Anomaly was also responsible for designing merchandise and creating a website. What were these processes like?


Candace> As an agency, we’ve been fortunate to be tapped for merchandise and website design opportunities across many of our clients. In both cases, it was important to remain true to the established brand positioning and visual identity, in order to ensure brand consistency. We then took inspiration from other important pillars of the Foundation in our design, like education, and the existing partnership with Howard University. Both the merch and the website will be used to help raise funds for the CBFA, and serve as a reminder of its purpose.



LBB> What challenges did you face during the course of this project, and how did you overcome them?


Candace> One of our biggest responsibilities was ensuring we were representing Chadwick’s legacy, Black history, and the Black arts community with the utmost reverence and respect. We leaned into Anomaly’s internal equitable work review panel, our colleagues across disciplines, as well as our global head of DE&I, Kristi Henderson, to ensure cultural accuracy and authenticity.



LBB> Working on this project must have been a moving experience. What did the chance to be involved mean to you?


Candace> This was a very rewarding and deeply emotional project for our team. It was an honour to not only work closely with those who knew Chadwick best, but to be entrusted to bring his vision and legacy to life. This created an incredibly strong partnership between Anomaly and the CBFA - one built on trust, understanding and appreciation. As a result, the team was personally invited to attend the Foundation’s launch, and a special screening of ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington; an extraordinary experience that we’ll remember for years to come.



LBB> What has the initial response been like? 


Candace> We’ve seen a fantastic response so far. The CBFA launched a social campaign for donations on Giving Tuesday (which happened to fall on Chadwick’s birthday), and raised over $40K USD.



LBB> What can Canadians do to help further support the work the Foundation does?


Visit the website at www.chadwickbosemanfoundation.org to donate, uplift the stories and create opportunities to support the voices of young Black creatives across America.


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