SANDY HOOK PROMISE

A simple promise. A powerful statement.

When the tragic news of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting reached Baker on December 14th, 2012 our hearts sank. We, like so many Americans, had heard it before, too many times and we’d had enough.

THE CHALLENGE

When the parents of the victims of Sandy Hook Elementary banded together to form a powerful coalition for social change we were happy to raise our hands and pledge to help make a difference.

BRAND.THINK

Turning tragedy into transformation. To some that may seem like an audacious goal, out of reach in the modern political climate. Yet to those who believe and are willing to lend a hand this dream never seemed more within reach. By harnessing the powerful passion and unequivical emotion, Baker was able to help give the victims a voice by developing a branded social movement with the ability to achieve real, lasting change.

While many options were offered and carefully considered, the final selected logo was chosen for its simplicity and inherent symbolism: A central hand being raised as if to say “I have the answer” or “I pledge to make a difference” is also a nod to the educational classroom where this unthinkable tragedy took place. 26 hands (20 dark green for students, 6 light green for adults) pay tribute to those whose lives were taken and will never be forgotten. Together the hands form a tree, a timeless emblem of both growth and new life taking root.

BRAND.BUILD

Many hands, once voice. A fundamental challenge within any branding project is ensuring consistency across multiple mediums, agencies and media outlets – a challenge exponentially compounded when unleashing an identity into the public and asking for socially interactive collaboration. To protect the brands integrity in addition to the logo Baker also created a comprehensive brand guide that could be used to introduce the Sandy Hook Promise brand and prevent unintended misuse as it ventured out into the world.

BRAND.ACTIVATE

The end is just the beginning. Following the successful launch of the Sandy Hook Promise in early 2013 Baker has continued to help develop programs and branded communications to help aid the Sandy Hook Promise in the fight against potential gun violence. It is our passionate belief as parents in particular and people in general that we can all make a difference if we just simply choose to raise our hand and speak up for our fellow man.

START WITH HELLO

is an educational program created to bring people together, encouraging communities to bond and look out for one another. The program teaches students how to reach out and include individuals who may be dealing with social isolation, building a culture of inclusion and connectedness within their immediate sphere of influence.

Baker worked hand in hand with the Sandy Hook Promise to develop a unified identity for the Start with Hello program as well as other educational materials needed to engage with students and educators alike. The full range of work included campaign materials, t-shirts, printed guide books for educators and student leaders, powerpoint presentations and brochures all designed to cohesively harness the power of community.

SAY SOMETHING

is an educational awareness program offering people the tools to help recognize the signs of a potential threat (with an emphasis on social media) and encouraging students to take action and speak up when they do notice those signals. Baker helped the Sandy Hook Promise launch this audacious campaign with a bilingual toolkit of printed and online media resources as well as emotionally resonant videos showcasing examples of students being a powerful voice making a significant difference in their communities.