Most brand projects that come to the studio usually come with a brief for the outside world. Designers are asked to persuade consumers, attract donors, or reassure stakeholders, and the work is shaped by how a brand appears to the public.
In contrast, the Woodland Trust’s latest project turns that model on its head. Rather than targeting the general public, the charity asked design studio Cubic to focus solely on its people.
Although it is one of the UK’s most recognized conservation charities, it had found that its own brand was being misunderstood by the people who use it every day. Cubic’s job was to help sort out internal confusion and rebuild confidence from the inside out.
The driving force behind the work is “We,” a warm and intentionally human campaign that aims to reimagine the brand among its employees, inspire a sense of shared responsibility, and strengthen the connection between internal culture and public support. Although the brand has long been trusted externally, Cubic’s audit revealed that, internally, it had become difficult to navigate, overly complex and, at times, considered the sole domain of the marketing team. For charities dependent on recognition, sustainability and donations, this posed an obvious risk.
Cubic started with a robust brand audit, talking to teams across the organization to understand where the real problems lay. Managing director Oliver Bingham says, “We found that excessive complexity and complexity was causing confusion, and people wanted more context around the elements of the strategy and the role they were playing.”
Obviously, the issue was not one of visual recognition but of understanding. Employees weren’t feeling connected to the strategy that sat beneath the logo.
During the research, it also became clear that many people viewed “brand” as a department and not something they personally helped deliver. That perception had created a gap in people’s understanding of the relationship between recognition, support, and donations.
Oliver explains: “For example, there was a significant gap in understanding how it informed and directed culture, because mostly it was seen as just ‘logos, colors and pictures’.” The campaign needed to change attitudes without patronizing anyone or pressuring them with jargon.
To tackle this, Cubic worked closely with the Trust to rebuild the brand strategy structure, simplifying the language and removing abstract terminology. The team wanted each component to have a defined role and a more familiar feel, creating a foundation that would support the creative expression to follow. Once the strategic reset took place, all paths started pointing towards the same idea of solidarity.
That idea became “We,” a name that reflected the behavior and mindset needed across the entire organization. Cubic knew the campaign had to feel human rather than corporate, so he turned to illustrator and animator Con McHugh to help bring the concept to life through work that could convey emotion without coming across as cliche. His work gives the campaign a sense of warmth and accessibility, with simple strokes revealing ideas about community, growth and focus in a way that feels immediate and simple.
Oliver says illustration became the natural answer because it “can simplify things in a way that other forms of expression cannot.” Animation quickly followed. He added, “You see them as statics, and you can understand how each one can be brought to life.” This movement helped Cubic unpack abstract themes and connect them to the Trust’s purpose: woodlands, people and the planet.
To ensure that the launch would have weight, Cubic introduced something that employees could hold in their hands. A special book was created and sent to each employee, supported by a film featuring the voices of Woodland Trust staff from across the UK. The choice to use multiple voices, accents and tones reinforced the campaign’s core message that pride and responsibility lie with everyone, not just one team.
The film uses a mix of graphics, footage and animation to tell a clear story of how brand understanding influences public trust and ultimately donations. Every creative decision was chosen to inspire, not lecture. Small details, such as juxtaposing woodland shots with portraits of staff, subtly underline that people and place are inseparable in the Trust’s mission.
Internal campaigns are notoriously difficult to measure, but early signs suggest the message is getting across. “We are told that more people have come forward to ask questions,” explains Oliver, noting that this change alone was one of the main objectives of the campaign. This work is also being used as an induction tool for new starters, ensuring people understand the brand from day one rather than having to piece it together later.
A long-term plan, created with Cubic, will keep the campaign alive. The idea is that “we” becomes a constant presence rather than a one-off communication push. “It has to be a faucet that doesn’t turn off,” says Oliver.
The Trust is already preparing follow-up activities designed to make the brand feel open, democratic and truly shared.
It may be an internal project, but its impact reaches far beyond the staff handbook. Reframing the brand as a collective commitment has helped to establish The Woodland Trust as an organization where every person understands their role in building identity, familiarity and support. In the charity sector, where public trust is everything, that change could prove more valuable than any external campaign.
