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Roots and Wings Transitional Kindergarten is an independent preschool that offers a multi-dimensional program rooted in nature-based philosophies, STEAM, and on naturally focused hands-on experiential learning. At the base of Temescal Canyon & feet from the ocean, located in the heart of Pacific Palisades, this 30 year brand legacy was asking for new life, as well as visual clarity & information structure in its messaging & distinction from the other educational brands–a+ was happy to oblige. Inspired by the local flora & fauna and the colors of the sky at sunset, a beautiful brand and on-going creative partnership was born.
“We Took direct inspiration from nature; bringing it into the brand & then reflecting it right back out, this branding quickly achieved the “surround sound” we look to deliver”
Roots & Wings was one of the first extensions of the Seven Arrows Elementary Brand. Launched early on in 1992 to serve the enrichment class & after-school programming demand the school’s community was asking for. 30 years later, it further expanded to offer an additional Transitional Kindergarten, for this community, this time at it’s new Aldersgate Campus. The Seven Arrows Way of Education asked us to help give the program new life, and a richer brand playbook. We were thrilled to support.
Growing families on the West Side of Los Angeles, or those moving to the area, looking for a Transitional Kindergarten / Pre-Kindergarten prep for their children.
The surrounding nature, specifically the flora & fauna of the neighboring Temescal Canyon park, as well as the magnificent sunsets experienced in this area where the mountains meet the sea. Coupled with the Educational institutions existing brand language, we wanted to bring the brand into the current day, while keeping it grounded & close to its roots.
The most successful metric is that the program was over-subscribed within 1 month of launching: a credit to the incredible educational pedagogy, as well as the clear communication of its mission & vision, as well as a visual promise of the home the teachers & staff would create for its future students. We were proud to help bring this legacy to fruition. Today, years later, the staff is still easily able to execute against the art direction & brand guidelines created for it, looking fantastic on web, mobile, & socials.
We drew direct inspiration from the brand’s existing logo, which was perfect & would remain unchanged. However, by pulling elements out the logo, as well taking them our of their greyscale state, we were able to breathe new life into the iconography, as well as celebrate the importance of play & nature exposure for the age-level we were catering to. From digital to print collaterals & merchandise, all elements of the brand were touched with this sense of play & spirit of imagination.
One element we did want to rejuvenate was the typography. “Katlynne Negative” was nothing but positive for us: a playful, fun typography that allowed us to show not tell, as well as make an impact by refreshing how otherwise static other education brands can be. This headline font intergreated perfectly with the brand language, as well as helped us create the distinction we were looking for, within the collection of brands within the existing Educational Institution that we were looking for.
The playfulness we observed all around campus, as well as in the school’s extended “grounds” (the neighboring parks also serve as educational locations) supported our color palette, as well as became excellent visual backdrops for our website visuals that we collected throughout the branding process.
As mentioned, the school’s location - particularity the unique sunset of the coastal town - served as direct inspiration. From the color palette, to the gradient visual mechanism we created with it, we pulled colors directly from images taken across a sequence of weeks, so we could be accurate & get it just right.
“The a+ team aligned our brand with our story. Our educational product can now stand out from the noise and reach our discerning audience. Clarity and authenticity are not easy to achieve. In a market where excellence is the baseline, communicating our uniqueness is paramount.”
It’s always very important for a+ to create brands that can live & breathe easily in-house, once we’ve handed over to a client. For this reason, it was imperative to create an effortless brand language populate it across easy-to-use working tools for our client’s team. We’re proud to say Roots & Wings social media team impresses us every day with their tight communications & social output with a consistent interpretation of the brand.
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