The Geena Davis Institute (GDI), founded by Two-time Academy Award winner Geena Davis, set out to overhaul their branding and refresh their social media strategy in celebration of their 20th anniversary. As a leader in research with deep industry ties, the rebrand needed to make a splash while simultaneously reaffirming GDI’s longtime mission.
The Institute is a pioneer in influencing equitable portrayals of gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQIA+, disability, age 50+ and body type across entertainment media. With 20 years of impact under their belt, they have no intention of slowing down, making the need for a thoughtful and purposeful social media presence a critical element in their success.
Before outlining a social strategy, we first aligned on dedicated content pillars that connect back to the Institute’s vision, mission and values. Those pillars center around the Institute’s role as an inclusivity pioneer, their research-based approach, the life-changing impact they make within the entertainment and media industry, and the Institute’s determination to build a better world. With these content pillars in place, we were well-positioned to outline compelling social content that fit within GDI’s key focus areas.
We incorporated GDI’s vibrant rebrand into new social templates, letterhead, business cards and more. In building out designs, we focused on creating graphics that were visually interesting and engaging, but also digestible enough so that the main focus–research findings and widespread impact–was easy to understand in bite-sized graphics. We leveraged the vibrant colors in GDI’s new palette, applying them to graphs and charts to highlight data and as accents in collage style images to draw the eye and create a high energy, pop art style throughout.
On launch day, we debuted the new branding with a refresh of all social media pages, including an Instagram grid takeover and a press release announcing the kick-off of GDI’s 20th anniversary celebration.
In less than a month since launching, rebranded social content was well-received by social followers, and strong press release pickup via the wire helped broaden our reach beyond social.
Beyond digital impact, strategic partnership outreach resulted in $300,000 in sponsorship dollars to support the year-end 20th anniversary celebration from high-profile companies, including SONY Pictures, NBC Universal, Google, The Walt Disney Company, Paramount, P&G Studios, Bloomberg, Warner Bros. Discovery, and more. These partnerships not only provided critical financial support but also reinforced the Institute’s credibility and influence within the entertainment industry, ensuring continued momentum for its mission-driven initiatives.
