Brand communications | Habs Schools

Deliverables:

Brand strategy
Visual identity
Communications strategy
Campaigns & advertising

Breakthrough goal:
Communicate a new vision

Habs Schools, a distinguished independent school with a 300-year legacy, embarked on a transformative journey to redefine its role in shaping the future of education. While renowned for academic excellence, Habs recognised that great exam results alone were not enough to prepare students for the fast-evolving world. The school needed a bold new vision—one that shifted the focus from academic grades and achievements alone, to developing young people who could go on to make a profound impact on the world.

Ambition

Habs was determined to evolve its traditional reputation as an academic hot house and reposition itself as a progressive, forward-thinking institution. The school’s leadership envisioned an educational model that would not only provide outstanding academic opportunities but also foster resilience, adaptability, and a deep sense of responsibility towards the world.

With an ambitious strategy in place for 2030, the school sought to clearly articulate a new vision, purpose, and values that resonated with its stakeholders. It aimed to define strategic pillars for change and communicate how they would shape the future of Habs while also developing a distinctive campaign identity that would effectively introduce this vision to the wider community.

Direction

Through in-depth consultation with senior stakeholders, we immersed ourselves in the Habs culture to fully understand its aspirations for the future. We refined the school’s brand strategy by crafting a compelling new purpose: “To empower our young people to make a profound impact on the world.”

This purpose became the foundation for a structured vision that revolved around six key strategic aims, focusing on academic innovation, pastoral care, co-curricular engagement, partnerships, talent development, and sustainability. Each of these aims was carefully articulated to guide both internal cultural shifts and external communications. By defining a clear narrative around each strategic aim, we ensured that Habs’ transformation would be both actionable and inspiring.

The breakthrough idea

To bring this new vision to life, we developed the “Profound Impact” campaign—a dynamic identity and communications campaign that encapsulated the school’s commitment to shaping future leaders.

At the heart of this campaign was a bespoke logo mark, symbolising the six key strategic aims of the school. This new identity was not just a visual asset but a rallying point for the entire school community, reinforcing Habs’ dedication to transformative education.

To ensure cohesion, we also evolved Habs’ brand guidelines, aligning all messaging and visual identity elements with the new purpose and strategic direction.

The breakthrough result

The campaign roll-out was designed to create widespread awareness and engagement among all key audiences—students, parents, teachers, alumni, and the broader community.

A robust communications strategy was implemented to ensure that the new vision and purpose were introduced seamlessly across all channels. This included a powerful multi-platform campaign spanning billboards, press advertising, and digital media. Additionally, a series of internal workshops and engagement initiatives were conducted to ensure staff and students fully embraced the new vision and values. To maintain consistency across all touchpoints, compelling brand assets were developed for both internal and external communications, making the transition smooth and impactful.

The response was overwhelmingly positive. Habs Schools now stand as an institution that not only excels academically but is widely recognised as a pioneer in preparing students for a rapidly evolving global landscape. The Profound Impact campaign successfully reshaped perceptions, strengthened stakeholder alignment, and positioned Habs as a beacon of progressive education, ready to empower future generations to leave a lasting legacy.