Archie Foundation turns 21 with new identity and determination to support children and families
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THE distinctive, cuddly bear has been a familiar and comforting sight for visitors to Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital for more than two decades.
His appeal has spread in recent years to support children and families across NHS healthcare settings in Moray, Highlands, Grampian and Tayside.
And now Archie, the cheery face of one of Scotland’s most popular hospital charities, The ARCHIE Foundation, has officially grown up as the charity turns 21!
The new-look Archie has been given a makeover to fully encompass the family of healthcare funds that are an integral part of the foundation - Grampian Child Bereavement Network and Friends of the NeoNatal Unit.
Archie still bears the instantly recognisable smile and never-ending long legs that have been the hallmark of his 21 years. Now, he’s a little older and supporting his young companion Neo, while the pair of them are proudly taking care of their colourful kite which is flying high above their heads.
The ARCHIE Foundation chief executive Paula Cormack said: “There can be few healthcare brand identities in the world as recognisable as the Archie character. He is truly unique and has been a symbol of comfort, support and friendship for many thousands of people over 21 years.
“As our charity has grown and we have developed into a larger family of funds, we knew the time was right to reflect that more clearly to our supporters and allow Archie to grow into a confident and caring 21-year-old.”
“It is so important that our three funds: The ARCHIE Foundation, Grampian Child Bereavement Network and Friends of the NeoNatal Unit, retain their purpose and their heart within the new brand identity, as each of them and their supporters play a vital role in providing care and services to children and families when they need it most.
“At a time when charities face enormous challenges to continue to provide essential services, we wanted to make sure that 21-year-old Archie became a symbol of confidence and hope for the future. We are so grateful to everyone who continues to support The ARCHIE Foundation and our entire family of funds.”
Team Archie conducted extensive market research among its supporter network and those of each of its funds before embarking on the rebranding project. As new designs took shape, the charity enlisted input from key stakeholders and groups of schoolchildren who were more than happy to give their feedback. The new brand identity will begin to appear across all areas over the coming weeks.
The rebrand project saw Archie’s original creator, Mearns-born artist Clare Mackie, reunited with the
charity.
The wonderfully talented and internationally acclaimed Clare has illustratively charted Archie from a babe in arms back in 2000 through to his new 21-year-old self, cuddling baby Neo in his arms and holding the Grampian Child Bereavement Network kite.
Back in the day, Clare originally worked with Neil Haston, who now runs Haston Creative, to create and introduce young Archie to the world.
Towards the end of last year, the pair were reunited with the charity after Archie supporter Kay Drummond expressed an interest in helping to steer the rebranding project while chatting with Archie CEO Paula Cormack.
Kay, who runs Marbles Corporate Communication, regularly collaborates with Neil on a range of brand development initiatives and asked if he’d be keen to come on board for Archie - unaware of Neil’s role in the original launch.
Clare began to work her magic, while Neil transformed herillustrations into eye-catching and iconic brand logos.
Paula said: “It has been a real pleasure to work with the team on such an exciting project and it really feels like we have benefited from a touch of serendipity from the outset here.
“Clare, Neil and Kay have all donated their time to the charity to work on this project and we could not be more grateful.”
To find out how you can support the ARCHIE Foundation go to www.archie.org/donate
