Turning The Table On Jayme Fairbridge

2024 Applied Arts Photography & Illustration Awards judge Jayme Fairbridge, Associate Creative Director, Vancouver, BC, shared the new branding and identity crafted by McCann for Kids Help Phone. In a world where every child and teenager deserves support, guidance, and a safe space to express themselves, this comes at a much-needed time. Through vibrant visuals, empathetic messaging, and a commitment to reaching young people of all backgrounds, "Help in All Sizes" is bound to reach many in need. Jayme elaborates on the creative process.

Kids Help Phone (KHP) has been providing free, 24/7 mental health support for youth in Canada since 1989. But since their inception, the challenges young people face have grown even more complex. The sheer range of support that KHP provides today's youth is both inspiring and immense. They help youth through problems big, small and everything in between. 

KHP knows that help for youth isn't "one size fits all," so we created an entirely new design system with flexibility and inclusivity at its core. It starts with an entirely new modular brand mark using the acronym for Kids Help Phone (KHP) that stretches or shrinks to fit any problem, emotion or service. Colour is an incredibly important part of the new design system; with 14 new colours and accompanying hues, it was designed to be paired in endless combinations that help KHP talk about emotions in many different ways to a diverse audience. 

It was a challenge to build a design system that attempts to encompass everything KHP does for youth today. This new branding is colourful, flexible, dynamic and genuinely enjoyable to work with. Aside from that, it has been incredibly rewarding to work on an increasingly essential service with such a dedicated group of people. 

Help in all Sizes is a promise from Kids Help Phone to youth across the country – with a new brand ID system that is flexible, colourful and as diverse as the young people KHP supports today.

Meaningful and much-needed creative. Congratulations to Jayme and her team at McCann on this powerful rebrand!