Marking 100 years of independent thinking, Brand identity for Chatham House

Marking 100 years of independent thinking

As one of the world’s oldest and most influential think tanks, Chatham House helps people, societies and governments to understand and adapt to change. Approaching their centenary year in 2020, they asked us to evolve their brand to be more accessible and engaging for a broader audience.

Central to our strategy was gathering audience opinion, which revealed a deep trust in the Chatham House name, and an opportunity to position the brand as more dynamic, inclusive and collaborative.

A search through the famous Chatham House library uncovered logos and publications dating back nearly 100 years

Building upon the past, we crafted a modern iteration of the 1987 logo conveying the Institute’s ambition to provoke international debate.

Together with a shift towards a simple clear tone of voice, we introduced a contemporary typeface and vibrant colour palette to work across all touchpoints.

To better integrate on and offline applications we developed extensive print and digital guidelines covering publications, maps, and charts.

Supporting the new brand with commissioned illustration by Charlotte Ager and Belle Mellor. Featured on our Forest Governance, and Tribes of Europe microsites.