Meet Felix: The newly merged UK food rescue charity

The Felix Project and FareShare joined forces to increase their presence, but needed to develop one clear brand image. The charities partnered with London-based creative agency Red Stone to position and develop the new food-rescue brand, Felix.

Red Stone took responsibility for creating a brand for the newly merged organisation, including naming, brand architecture, strategy and visual and verbal identity. The agency united the charities and gave them a shared purpose and attention-grabbing identity.

Instead of searching for a new name, Felix honours the roots of The Felix Project while adding freshness and simplicity to the brand. The name comes from founders Jane and Justin Byam Shaw’s son, Felix, who tragically lost his life. A consensus was reached that this personal legacy should be carried forward.

An added strapline, ‘Rescuing food for fuller lives,’ creates a perfect mix of sensitivity, urgency and clarity.

The new visual and verbal identity builds around the spirit of staff and volunteers. Character, quirky wit and emotion drive this personality.

A vibrant green anchors the visuals with the Felix logo based on Felix’s own signature. Illustrations created in-house at Red Stone and asset layout compositions embrace rough edges and wonkiness to keep the brand grounded and human.

To bring these brands together, Red Stone had to get a thorough understanding of the companies’ individual internal cultures. After leading workshops, running interviews and working with staff on site, they found the groups were united by positivity, purpose and a drive to do good.

This common thread was used as the foundation for the new brand strategy, which speaks to the charity’s broader sense of impact. The ‘fuller lives’ concept comes from Felix’s effects on those it serves, strengthening communities, creating opportunities and sparking change.

When FareShare and The Felix Project came together, the brand landscape was complex. Between a mix of sub-brands, services and partnerships, Red Stone created a succinct architecture model that allowed for informed internal conversations and decision-making during the merger.

The model focused on ‘proximity to the core,’ making the brand easy to understand externally, easy to use internally and increasing brand equity.