H is for hope
An estimated 230 000 children under 15 are living with HIV in South Africa. Yet only about 10 000 children are currently on ARV treatment, meaning that about 50% of children with HIV/AIDS die before they reach the age of two.
One of the most important things that you can give to these children is hope, and that’s exactly what REX set out to do when they created a new name and brand image for the Wits Paediatric HIV Clinic – currently the biggest children’s HIV unit worldwide, treating 6 000 children nation-wide.
At the time, the clinic was operating under three names simultaneously – the Wits Paediatric HIV Clinic, ECHO and Asiphilisane. To create a cohesive brand, it was necessary to choose one name. ECHO, which stands for Enhancing Children’s HIV Outcomes, was the strongest of the three names and that which the unit used when referring to itself. It was the logical choice.
But designing the brand imagery was not so simple. “In an ideal world, HIV would not exist and it’s tough to design a name and brand imagery for an organisation which is striving to make itself non-existent! But, in speaking with the people who run this unit, and with the children for whom they care, REX realised that its goal was to imbue the clinic with love and care and hope, until such time as it is no longer needed.
The design challenge was to retain the link with HIV through the symbolic red ribbon, but REX also firmly believed that this particular symbol was frightening and intimidating for children.
The solution was to enthuse the ribbon, to imbue it with hope and love, and so inject life and optimism into it in a way that would make it clear that ECHO works for children living with HIV and AIDS.
The result is a child-like rendition of the HIV red ribbon, transformed via the addition of one more loop into a heart, and then repeated again and again, in a visual ‘echo’.
“It’s a beautiful, brilliant representation of the work that we do. And, importantly, it speaks very strongly of the love and care and hope that we strive to give to our children every day,” says ECHO’s Celiwe Dhlamini.
This was one of the most uplifting projects in which REX has been involved and the team was particularly inspired by the opportunity to design a logo that literally can change the lives of people.
