Elmwood Supports Financial Literacy

Visual Identity For The Economic Justice Partnership

Elmwood has announced its part in creating the visual identity for The Economic Justice Partnership, a new initiative launched at the University of Pennsylvania to deliver financial literacy to first generation and low-income college students from minority communities. The Partnership was founded on the belief that minorities in the US have historically been largely kept out of the financial system and prevented from building wealth. In order to bring about change, the program offers free courses that help young students to understand how they can invest for the future and grow their wealth, particularly through retirement investing. For each student who successfully completes the course modules, the Partnership helps them to open an IRA and deposit $250 so they can begin to save and build wealth for the future.

Elmwood brought together a diverse team of design experts to refine the Partnership’s core personality traits and develop its brand identity, including its wordmark, signature monogram, typographic system, color palette, illustration style and website design. Vibrant colors and illustrations embody its youthfulness, while a sense of refinement and credibility were captured through classic fonts and shapes, remixed for a new generation. The purpose of the program was conveyed through the use of subtle contrasts in its visual assets to illustrate a sense of partnership – multiple things coming together for a common purpose. Bold colors and heavy typography embody the pioneering nature of the partnership.

“Economic inequality is a reality and major issue in the United States that prevents minority communities from getting exposed to the right information, education, and reaching their full potential,” said Natasha Young, Head of Client Partnerships at Elmwood New York. “All of the Elmwood team members on this project, including myself, come from a minority background, so this was an issue that was very close to our hearts.”

Elmwood clients include Haleon, Heineken, Danone, Mars and Unilever.