Church on the Street
Courageous communications for a brand lifting people out of poverty in Burnley.
A faith-in-action charity combatting injustice.
In 2013, Pastor Mick stood outside a McDonald’s in Burnley with a packet of sandwiches and clothes. Next to him, a flask of coffee ready to share. Anyone was welcome to pick up a bite to eat and have a chat - and as numbers grew - a community was formed. Church on the Street, more commonly known as COTS, helps to lift people out of poverty through the provision of necessities such as food, clothing and showers - through to giving access to vital services including rehabilitation, NHS services and support groups. Pastor Mick’s journey from drug dealer to preacher was picked up by the BBC news and Guardian during the pandemic as news spread of the community’s vital work to share food provisions for those struggling during the pandemic.
Working with designer Studio Baba, we were invited to develop the brand values and tone of voice for COTS. Beginning with a workshop of COTS’ stakeholders - from Mick himself through to regular visitors - we worked to create a strategic brand positioning document, confirming the organisation’s values before developing these into a visual language that encapsulates Burnley and the services COTS’ provides.
The logo incorporates the church subtlety with the integration of a cross, using a bold and impactful typeface to suit the COTS’ team, who are quick to throw themselves right into the heart of helping out. The tone of voice needed to fit just right - and follows the speech patterns of Mick and the team. It’s down to earth, straightforward and not afraid to say it how it is - with a bit of Burnley slang thrown in for good measure. We wanted to ensure the brand felt just like the experience of visiting COTS. A place where everyone’s welcome and nothing’s too much trouble.
Alongside the brand, we created a website for launch and brand collateral, including the organisation’s first resource teaching pack to work as a companion piece with Pastor Mick’s memoir publication. It’s been a joy to see COTS grow over time as they continue to provide services that are absolutely vital for communities in the current socio-political climate.
It was a pleasure to work with Pen and Think and I will continue to do in the future. I really appreciated their attention to detail in combination with the big picture, they challenge my thinking of what we need in a good way, they got to know us first before doing any work. Love the brand, what it stands for and how it communicates our vision and mission - amazing people to work with.
Chris Cherrill - Operations Manager, COTS
Learn about the amazing work Church on the Street does here.