Mikvah of East Denver
Problem
A unique development was coming to the Jewish Community in Denver—this project entailed developing a brand for a Mikvah 'coming soon to Denver. While the Mikvah was not operational, the goal was to raise enough money to sustain construction.
Therefore, we need a strong brand that catches high-end donors' attention.
Solution
While being built, we developed a strategy to promote the construction project and gain awareness in the community with a vibrant and relevant visual identity and messaging system. The messaging was open to anyone and education-focused, while the visual identity needed to be fresh and modern.
Impact
The brand reflected a water-like feel derived from what a Mikvah is for the Jewish community. The dots resembled a Jewish star within the design, which was modern and catchy. In addition, a watercolorist enhanced the brand by texturing the renderings and photographs, giving the entire brand an elevated and classy feel.
We helped a 20-year in the making vision come to life and launch in six months. Now, the Mikvah not only raised $250 Million in the capital, but they are also up and running now and serving the Jews in Denver and surrounding areas.
Jewish Association of Death Education
Website & Visual Identity
When a brand focuses on educating a community about death practices—before, during and after, it can be a challenge to visualize and also message. Based on a practice in the Jewish religion, the Hebrew word for pebble is also a word that means “bond.” By placing a stone on the headstone, it bonds the deceased with the visitors. We created a brand around rocks, water and the beauty of life. Check out how this brand turned out overall below. What feeling do you get? Also, visit www.jadeinfo.org to learn more about this new non-profit organization.
Website: Since the organization did not exist, our interviews and consumer research revealed insights into what people would want from this entirely new organization—the Jewish Association for Death Education (JADE). From our research, we gained insights that influenced the core services, headlines and messaging that you see in the above website. Visit www.jadeinfo.com
Visuals:
The color palette represented shades of greens and blues. It started with looking at the color Jade and expanded from the color Jade into greens, blues, and water-like tones—water is an integral part of Jewish death rituals and practices, so it made sense to incorporate these colors.
Problem
The journey to develop the Jewish Association for Death Education (JADE) began with a clear recognition of the need for a compassionate, educational resource during the deeply sensitive and challenging times of mourning. Our consumer research and interviews uncovered a profound desire for an organization that could offer solace, understanding, and practical guidance to Jewish individuals grappling with loss. The absence of such a resource highlighted a significant gap in support for the Jewish community and beyond, during one of life's most distressing periods.
Solution
Shubu Creative embarked on an in-depth exploration to understand the needs and expectations of those seeking support in times of loss. This foundational research informed every aspect of our strategy, from content development to service offerings.
With a solid understanding of the community's needs, we crafted a comprehensive brand strategy, laying the groundwork for JADE's core services, messaging, and online presence. This strategy was the blueprint for developing a brand identity that embodied empathy, serenity, and understanding.
We meticulously designed JADE's visual identity to reflect calmness and reassurance, selecting colors and styles that convey a sense of peace. The branding was consistently applied across all touchpoints, ensuring a cohesive and comforting presence.
The creation of the JADE website was the culmination of our efforts, designed to be a digital sanctuary for those in mourning. It serves as a central hub for education, support, and community connection, easily accessible and reflective of JADE's core values.
Impact
The launch of JADE marked a significant step forward in providing targeted support and education for those facing the loss of a loved one. The brand has become a pivotal resource, offering:
Through its calming visual identity and thoughtful content strategy, JADE offers a comforting presence to those in mourning. The JADELINE and core services, easily navigable through the website, ensure that individuals have access to essential resources during their time of need. JADE has fostered a sense of community, providing a platform for shared experiences and support among those who are grieving.
Through strategic insight, creative execution, and a deeply empathetic approach, Shubu Creative has successfully addressed a critical need, creating a lasting impact on individuals and families during their most challenging times.
Susan Kramer Consulting
We did a complete brand analysis to bring Susan Kramer Consulting's brand to the next level. Susan came to us as the "fundraising fairy" and we re-positioned her personal brand as the "fundraising expert," but still showed her flair and fun personality through this brand. We wanted to elevate her position from being a “fairy” to someone who knows her industry and can truly help people fundraise.
She now has a bold and professional presence, but also still has the flair and sparkle that makes her who she is today—someone who shines and sparkles when she walks into the room. She is now catching the attention of many national nonprofits worldwide who want to work with her coaching and proven methodologies to turn their passion into action and action into results.
Kavod v’ Nichum
Problem
Kavod v'Nichum is a non-profit organization that has been serving the Jewish community for over 20 years. While their work of providing resources for Jewish end-of-life rituals and practices is extremely valued, it was time for a brand refresh and new clear messaging. Their original website struggled with direction. It had an extraordinary amount of information—400 pages. Their services became hard to understand and navigate. The website became an internal content repository rather than a storefront of the organization for patrons to browse and find useful information. While their staff was passionate and subject matter experts, they were too confused on their own offerings and mission.
Solution
We identified their three primary services - resources, education, and training - and structured their new website to focus on the value they provide. We honed in their in-depth tab style resources library to seven top-line topics. Now, their website has a clear direction for their patrons to follow. We also consolidated their education and training services under the umbrella education. We also modernized their look. We leveraged deep jewel tones in their new brand identity to symbolize the richness of the Jewish culture, and the depth of life and also grieving. Throughout their website, you can find artistic handdrawn illustrations highlighting end-of-life rituals and practices, giving visual depth to the important information they provide. Most importantly, we helped with their high-level messaging. From their new tagline, Honoring Death in Life, to simplifying who they are and who they serve, we helped simplify their core brand messaging.
Impact
We are extremely proud to work with an organization that services a community so close to our hearts. The only thing that is better than hearing that our clients loved their brand refresh is that THEIR clients love the new look. Check out what Kavod v' Nichum's patrons had to say about their new brand refresh and website design.
"Congratulations on the launch of the new website. I really like the refresh - it is so much more inviting."
“The new website looks very nice. May our sacred work continue under the chuppah (canopy) of compassion to guide us."
"What a beautiful new website! These are such important resources to share with the world."
Kavod v’ Nichum has successfully updated all of their marketing collateral, announced their new brand at their annual conference, rolled out the brand to staff and is continues to acquire new patrons and satisfy existing donors and volunteers.