In 2021, Studio Tomo’s Founder and Managing Director, James Wu, served as a Partner and Head of Strategy for A—B Partners (now NewWorld). During his tenure, the agency was hired by Equality Fund—Canada’s second-largest funder of feminist movement organizations—to rebrand the foundation. They wanted a brand that stood out from the typical NGO and foundation brands found in the worlds of international development and women’s rights. They sought a brand that felt more bold, visionary, and in tune with the culture of the communities they served.

James and his team of strategists identified the idea of “shifting power” as core to Equality Fund’s unique approach—moving power, capital, resources, and decision making directly into the hands of their grantees versus the traditional power dynamics present in most foundations. They proposed the language, “We Move,” to serve as a platform for the verbal brand as well as an inspiration for the visual brand. A portal became the primary graphic device for the identity, representing a passageway into a brighter future for women, girls and nonbinary people—one for feminist movement leaders and their communities to move through with courage, optimism, and newfound power.

Check out A—B’s full case study to learn more.