First Five Years Fund:

NJI Builds Playful Advocacy ReBrand

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

Website redesign unlocks new brand potential

By listening closely we could see the promise of a visual identity that would enable FFYF to speak with greater impact.

The old animated logo for First Five Years Fund transforming into the new one

PROJECT BRIEF:

The First Five Years Fund (FFYF) is an influential advocate for early-childhood care and education, with a primary audience of federal legislators and policymakers. Although FFYF initially engaged NJI for a website redesign and modest brand update, we recognized that a new visual identity, paired with a more robust website, would most effectively elevate FFYF’s platform and facilitate better engagement.

Energized by the significance of this mission — and inspired by tons of cute kid pictures — our team led a thorough discovery process to understand FFYF’s stakeholders, identify strategies to optimize engagement, and recommend solutions to engagement challenges.

phone showing ffyf page

OUR APPROACH:

Make playful inspiration persuasive.

colorful

content rich

flexible

Based on this research, we presented options for an updated, modernized logo. Yet in keeping with our own motto — “Challenge the status quo” — we also delivered an alternative: a new look that is a clearer, more compelling representation of FFYF’s purpose. The client loved this progression, which cascaded into a full brand update and significantly influenced the site direction.

The new logo incorporated five shapes, symbolizing the first five years of childhood development and providing continuity with the original logo. Organizing the shapes into a “5” yields a mark that is both striking and recognizable. The color scheme is vibrant and playful, while adhering to a sophisticated palette appropriate for FFYF’s work in the federal government arena.

An colorful meeting room with the colored shapes on the wall
Two advertisement mock ups for First Five Years Fund featured in a magazine and at a bus stop
An animated Happy Holidays! card from First Five Years Fund

FFYF’s website needed to resonate quickly with new audiences and support intuitive navigation of advocacy and legislative content for policy-oriented audiences. The new visual identity, paired with stronger site design and functionality, helps FFYF deliver a compelling advocacy message to diverse stakeholders spanning local, state, and federal levels. These assets also position FFYF for more agile, persuasive engagement with its most important audiences.

At a glance:

drag
4
branding awards
7
color palettes
14 weeks
our timeline
2,627
pages migrated
5
custom block shapes

fortune favors

the bold

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