Autism Speaks revamps visual identity for 15th anniversary

Autism Speaks has brightened up its iconography to celebrate its 15th anniversary, unveiling a colorful new logo and brand font as the advocacy group prepares to kick off its “Year of Kindness” campaign. The visual overhaul is anchored by an update to the group's long-standing blue puzzle-piece logo and the addition of a new, “more inviting” typeface. The refreshed logo, spearheaded by New York creative shop Sons & Prophets, includes a range of colors that “signifies the diversity of perspectives and experiences with autism spectrum disorder,” the organization says in a statement. “We wanted to be more reflective of that community across the spectrum and lifespan,” says Autism Speaks President and CEO Angela Geiger. “You’re an adult with autism a lot longer than you’re a child with autism.” Autism Speaks also launched the “Year of Kindness” campaign today—an in-house initiative that aims to record one million acts of kindness toward people with autism by the end of 2020. “We’ve moved from just pure awareness to understanding and acceptance. We thought the best anniversary present we could give was to create this ‘Year of Kindness,’” says Geiger. “We hope that this effort, together with our more inclusive identity, will fuel an atmosphere of kindness that can last for many more years to come.” Autism Speaks’ newest ads, also from Sons & Prophets, will highlight its “Year of Kindness” campaign in a bid to create “a kinder, more inclusive world for people with autism.” Cut into 15-, 30- and 60-second spots, the “Spectrum” spots will run on social channels and TV, airing on networks including CNN, Fox, HGTV and the Golf Channel. Voiceovers are done by Andrew Duff, an aspiring stage actor who is autistic. (Duff also lent his voice to a series of Autism Speaks ads last year.) Acts of kindness envisioned by the campaign include volunteering at an Autism Speaks event, sending positive messages via social media (collected with the hashtag “#KindnessCounts”) and “lending a helping hand to a friend on the spectrum.”

Autism Speaks revamps visual identity for 15th anniversary

Featured Stories