Award-winning brands with emotional impact at their core

Over the past few years, we have partnered with purpose-driven organisations to create brands that don’t just look good. They unlock real change in people’s lives and in entire sectors. From charity support to climate control, these projects have gone on to earn industry recognition and award nominations. This is because they combine strategic clarity with distinctive, emotionally resonant creative. They all follow our brand positioning strategy to define their unique value proposition.

Agecko: repositioning waste from brokerage to leadership

Agecko came to Think with ambition: to stop being seen as “just another waste broker” and be recognised as a specialist consultancy leading the way in sustainable waste management. The market was crowded with transactional providers and the existing brand did little to differentiate Agecko’s strategic, relationship-led approach. Think led a full brand makeover that reframed Agecko around the idea of “waste reimagined”, elevating the business from commodity trading to consultancy leadership. Through workshops and competitor analysis, the team defined a new positioning that focused on insight, partnership and long-term value for clients, rather than short-term price-driven deals. Read the full Agecko case study.

This strategic shift informed a new visual identity, narrative and digital presence that feel confident, contemporary and aligned with ESG initiatives. The repositioned brand communicates Agecko’s role in helping organisations turn waste into opportunity – whether that’s cost savings, risk reduction or reputational advantage.

• Creative Pool Silver Winner in Digital Design
• Creative Pool Silver Winner for Graphic Design
• Creative Pool Silver Winner for Web Design
• Creative Pool Bronze Winner for Logo Design
• Prolific North Gold Winner for Rebrand

Wood Street Mission: honouring heritage while amplifying urgency

Manchester-based charity Wood Street Mission has been supporting children and families experiencing poverty since the nineteenth century. It is an organisation with deep roots and emotional resonance in the city. But with demand rising and the nature of poverty changing, the charity needed a brand that could honour its heritage while speaking with greater clarity and urgency to today’s audiences.

Think worked with Wood Street Mission to create a refreshed brand that keeps the organisation’s story and values at the forefront, while modernising how that story is told visually and verbally. The new identity strengthens recognition across campaigns such as SmartStart. Ensuring children have the essentials they need for school, and gives the charity a more cohesive, confident presence in both digital and physical spaces. The rebrand has had more than just visual impact. By clarifying the charity’s purpose and sharpening its messaging, the new brand has helped Wood Street Mission engage supporters, partners and corporate donors more effectively. The project was recognised with a nomination at the Prolific North Creative Awards, highlighting the power of thoughtful brand work to amplify the voice of organisations tackling poverty in local communities. View the Wood Street Mission project.

• Creative Pool Bronze Winner in Branding for NGO & Non-Profit
• Creative Pool Bronze Winner in Branding for Graphic Design
• Prolific North Nomination in Branding for NGO & Non-Profit

Once Upon a Smile: a brand that makes support feel reachable

Children’s bereavement charity Once Upon a Smile approached Think with a clear but challenging brief: make it easier for families to find and access support at the most difficult time in their lives. Their existing brand and website didn’t reflect the warmth professional reach of the service.

Working closely with staff and affected families, we developed a new brand that put reassurance and hope at its centre. This translated into a refreshed visual identity, messaging and a new website designed around clear user journeys, so families could quickly understand what help was available and how to access it. The result was a charity brand that feels more human, more confident and more aligned with the quality of care being delivered every day. Crucially, the project wasn’t just cosmetic. By connecting the charity’s mission to a sharper value proposition and clearer digital experience, the rebrand created the foundations for stronger partnerships, fundraising and community engagement. Winning 4 INDIGO awards and a GOLD BIMA award, it has since been highlighted in the press as an example of how charitable organisations can use brand to make complex, sensitive services feel welcoming and easy to navigate. View the Once Upon a Smile case study.

• BIMA Gold Award in charities and social enterprise
• Creative Pool Gold Winner in Branding for NGO & Non-Profit
• Creative Pool Silver Winner in Branding for Graphic Design
• Creative Pool Silver Winner in Website Design for Digital Design
• Prolific North Creative For Good Award

What these award-winning brands have in common

Although each organisation operates in a very different sector, all three projects shared several core principles:

• A clearly defined brand position
• Audience-led messaging
• Strong visual differentiation
• Consistent digital experiences
• A focus on measurable outcomes

These foundations helped create brands that not only look distinctive but also support growth, engagement and long-term impact.

Creativity with outcomes: why these projects win awards

Collectively, these projects show what happens when brand strategy, design and digital experience are all aligned around clear outcomes:

For Once Upon a Smile, that outcome is families finding support quickly and feeling understood.

For Agecko, it’s a shift in market perception. From commodity to consultancy leading doors to bigger, more strategic engagements.

For Wood Street Mission, it’s a stronger platform to tell stories, rally support and sustain a historic mission in a modern context.

Each brand was judged not only on creative excellence but on its ability to change how audiences think, feel and act. This is why they’ve attracted industry recognition as well as award nominations and wins.

Looking to strengthen your brand?

Whether you’re repositioning an established organisation, launching something new or looking to improve how your audience perceives your business, a clear brand strategy creates the foundation for long-term success. See how Think can help define your positioning, sharpen your messaging and create a brand that truly stands out.