First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica
Industry: Religious, Non-Profit
Discipline: Brand Identity, Campaign, Web Design
First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica is the oldest continuously serving Presbyterian church in the United States. Organized in 1662, this church has been around for over 350 years. When the lead pastor reached out to us to modernize their logo we had never worked on branding a church before. His request was simple; he wanted to appeal to a younger demographic. He felt the Presbyterian logo was of an older generation and no longer appealed to the younger families moving into the community. He also wanted it to feel welcoming.
Understanding the demographics of the community was important here. Most of the congregation were newly migrated families from the Caribbean and parts of Africa. There was also a long standing African American families. We knew we wanted to create brand mark that was hand done. We set out to draw hundreds of brush strokes. Adjusting them slightly and looking at the abstract shapes they created. What we discovered were powerful symbols that felt joyful, welcoming, illuminating and celebratory. We knew we had lots to pull from and the resulting mark would last for generations of families.
