Rare

For the last 40 years, Rare has worked with communities around the world to tackle environmental problems with locally led solutions. Their goal is to inspire people to become proud, careful managers of their local natural resources.

Their most important visual identity challenge was that the existing logo—the word “Rare” with a wave under the letters—didn’t help the organization to clarify its ambiguous name. Although short and easy to pronounce, the four-letter name always prompted questions for the organization’s employees and leaders. In Rare’s past, the initials had stood for “Rare Animals Relief Effort,” but since that was no longer their mission, the acronym had faded away.

The new Rare visual identity is a lively combination of four bold and clearly understood icons: a drop of water, a leaf, a human head, and a fish. Taken together, they also represent food security, climate resilience and livelihood assurances—the interdependencies between people and nature. The new identity is friendly, modern, and approachable, while immediately situating the organization within the conservation realm.