Allen & Gerritsen Crafts Brand Platform and Visual Identity for Richard King Mellon Foundation

Allen & Gerritsen (A&G), a comprehensive independent agency specialising in communications, CX, public relations, media and analytics today announced the launch of a new brand identity inclusive of a new logo, visual identity suite and re-imagined website to advance the 10-year Strategic Plan of the Richard King Mellon Foundation (RKMF), the largest foundation in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and one of the 50 largest in the world, making it easier for its partners to interact with the Foundation digitally. 

A&G collaborated with the Foundation to develop the new look and feel including research platform development, brand identity and guidelines, experience design and web development. The new site provides an optimised experience across all screens and simplifies the site’s architecture for ease of navigation. It includes more photography and video, an email newsletter sign-up, and a direct connection to the Foundation’s LinkedIn feed, which has become a primary resource for sharing Foundation news and information.

The new RKMF logo was designed to mark the Foundation’s 75-year history, while also reflecting its contemporary philanthropic leadership. The new logo takes its inspiration from that of the former Mellon Bank, where RKMF founder Richard King Mellon was long time chair. The new Foundation logo repurposes the green rectangles of the former bank’s logo, rotating and repeating them to form a circle. The logo is paired with a new tagline also conceived of by A&G: 'Visionaries Wanted.' 

“Vision has been at the centre of the Foundation’s work for 75 years,” said Sam Reiman, director of the Richard King Mellon Foundation. “From our founder’s vision in leading Pittsburgh’s Renaissance, to the visionary work of our grantees ever since – we constantly are seeking out people with bold ideas to advance our plan and improve our communities. And this tagline captures that ethos in two simple words.”

“We help brands uncover who they are on their best day. With RKMF, we saw the opportunity to refresh the brand around their earnest appetite for people with the imagination and skill to bring about real and lasting change,” said Chris Fernandez, group creative director at Allen & Gerritsen. “Visionaries Wanted crystalised the Foundation's mission to bring together the next generation of big thinkers and served as the inspiration for all of the creative that has come since.” 

A&G’s process included extensive user-experience research to determine the most effortless experience for Foundation website visitors. It includes an optimised experience across all screens and simplifies the site’s architecture for ease of navigation as well as photography and video, an email newsletter sign-up and a direct connection to the Foundation’s LinkedIn feed, which has become a primary resource for sharing Foundation news and information.

A&G will continue its partnership with the Foundation through an ongoing partnership to fully integrate the new visual identity as the organisation works to fulfil the goals outlined in the 2021-2023 Strategic Plan.