The Fairtrade Foundation Refreshes Branding Ahead of Next Five-Year Plan

Fairtrade has refreshed their brand identity with the goal of capturing the hearts of mainstream Britain by conveying the incredible breadth and scale of impact their movement empowers across the world. 

While Fairtrade has succeeded in redefining global standards and established social responsibility on business and shopper agendas, many of us are unaware of the full breadth and scale of the impact that choosing Fairtrade can create for vulnerable farmers and workers. 

The brand refresh seeks to drive home the message that we don’t just choose Fairtrade to ensure farmers get a fair wage, so they can feed themselves and live with dignity; we’re also choosing to empower global communities that protect our shared environment and care for wildlife. Where families are lifted out of poverty, so parents can afford to send their children to school and where millions of women are empowered, so all can take part and take up leadership roles.

Over the last twenty-five years, Fairtrade has built an extensive global network comprising millions of people all working together to make sustainable impacts in 73 countries. With products sold from Africa, South America and South-East Asia, the Fairtrade system empowers crucial development in communities that includes building resilience to disasters (such as climate change and the COVID-19 crisis) via the Fairtrade minimum price and Fairtrade Premium, establishing a women's school of leadership, and establishing climate adaptation plans to protect rainforests and thousands of species of animals across the world. Fairtrade’s new position is that if we all choose to, we can come together to build a world of change.

To connect us with our activist roots, Fairtrade turned to 2050 London and Humankind research. A new, positive, can-do narrative was developed to open people’s eyes to the strength of the global Fairtrade community. Over the next five years, inspiring impact stories will be told through stirring photography, dynamic graphics, and vibrant colours to affirm Fairtrade’s leading position as a people powered engine of change. The line ‘choose the world you want’ conveys the power of a global community working towards a common goal, and invites you to join in making positive change happen. 

Laura van de Ven, head of brand and marketing at the Fairtrade Foundation, says: ‘Fairtrade is more than a brand: it’s a movement. A movement that has grown from strength to strength in the past 25-years to include 1.6 million farmers and workers, 600 certified UK towns, 12 UK universities, and over 6,000 Fairtrade products available to buy in the UK. Since its inception, the social movement for fair trade has been led by Fairtrade campaigners and farmers. And now our new game-changing brand messaging embodies this by letting consumers know that when you choose Fairtrade, you’re joining a community of millions. Choice is a powerful thing – if we use it, and when you choose Fairtrade you choose a range of impacts including fairer incomes, empowerment, gender equality, education, and tackling climate change. You choose the world you want. It really is that simple.

‘Fairness is the catalyst for a better world​, including paying fair prices, upholding fair​ working principles, and fair standards. These values mobilise a global community, from farmers and workers, to traders, retailers, brands, students, shoppers, and campaigners. Our small choices lead to big impacts. Together, we can empower vulnerable farmers and workers across the globe to take action to improve their futures and our shared world.’

Adam Morrison, managing director, 2050 London: ‘The Fairtrade brand needed an idea and tone that felt bold, spontaneous and participatory to provoke millions more to join in and co-create. ‘Choose the world you want’ invites us to use Fairtrade’s scale and integrity to change things.’’

Adam Chiappe and Mathew Saunby, creative directors, 2050 London: ‘The creative work will reflect the energy and purpose of a community creating impact. Impactful graphics will convey a modern and vibrant look & feel. Momentum and action will run through the brand. It reflects an inspiring truth. To choose Fairtrade, is to create ripples across the world.’

Ben Tan, strategy director, 2050 London: ‘In a world where every brand professes to ‘do good’, Fairtrade is the original and the gold standard. We had the rare privilege of working with a national treasure. The new positioning taps this latent goodwill by giving people the chance to enjoy positive feelings and reaffirm Fairtrade’s place in the nation’s heart.’

Tom Silverman, founding partner. Humankind: ‘The empowering feel of the new strategy really shone through in the response we saw from consumers and reinvigorates a brand that is already well loved. Consumer feedback such as, “They do far more for the world than I thought” and, “I hadn’t realised how much difference this could make” showed how ‘Choose the world you want’ helps to demonstrate the far-reaching positive impact of choosing Fairtrade.’