Citizens Advice has appointed a new agency as part of plans to evolve its “The People’s Champion” campaign platform into a lasting and distinctive part of its brand.
The organisation, which is one of the UK’s most recognised charities, helping millions of people navigate problems relating to issues such as debt, housing, employment and consumer rights, has appointed creative agency Art of the Possible following a competitive pitch managed by The GO! Network.
Mission Group-owned agency Story originally devised the strategy, and launched the “We are the people’s champion” campaign in May 2024 to highlight the charity’s role.
However, Art of the Possible will now lead a brand strategy and creative consultancy project, defining how “The People’s Champion” can move beyond an individual campaign to become a meaningful and consistent expression of Citizens Advice’s identity, purpose and role in people’s lives.
Alongside providing free practical advice and support across England, Wales and the Channel Islands, the charity uses evidence gathered from people’s experiences to campaign for wider changes to the systems and policies that affect their lives.
Art of the Possible has been tasked with building on the success of “The People’s Champion”, establishing how the platform can communicate this broader role while retaining the trust, impartiality and accessibility at the heart of the Citizens Advice brand.
A central challenge will be creating a brand framework that works consistently across a complex national organisation and its network of more than 230 independent local Citizens Advice charities, while remaining flexible enough to meet the needs of different communities and audiences.
The project will begin immediately with a discovery phase encompassing stakeholder engagement, audience insight and a review of existing brand and communications activity.
This will inform the development of a clear strategic direction for “The People’s Champion”, defining its meaning, purpose, positioning and relationship with the brand.
Art of the Possible will then develop an actionable brand roadmap and creative toolkit covering messaging, visual identity, imagery, brand applications and editable templates. The aim is to equip national and local teams with the tools to bring the platform to life consistently and effectively across a wide range of communications.
The work will be designed to help articulate the organisation’s social purpose and connect with Citizens Advice’s diverse audiences, from people seeking advice and support to those engaging with the organisation through advocacy, fundraising, volunteering and recruitment.
Citizens Advice head of brand and marketing Donna Wardell said: “We were looking for a partner who could really understand Citizens Advice – the complexity of our organisation, the existing awareness of our brand, and the important role we play in people’s lives – while also bringing fresh thinking about how we take the brand forward.
“Art of the Possible understood that this isn’t simply about creating a new campaign or visual identity; it’s about building on what we already have and turning ‘The People’s Champion’ into something meaningful, distinctive and genuinely useful across our organisation and our network.
“Their approach was thoughtful, strategic and highly collaborative, with creative ambition. We’re really excited to be working with them and to see where we can take ‘The People’s Champion’.”
Art of the Possible managing director Kat Patterson added: “Citizens Advice is an organisation that plays an incredibly important role in people’s lives, so the opportunity to help shape how its brand evolves is hugely exciting for us.
“What makes this brief particularly interesting is that it’s about much more than creating a compelling brand idea. It’s about taking something that already resonates with people and giving it the strategic clarity, creative strength and practical tools to become a lasting part of the organisation.
“There’s a real challenge in creating something that feels consistent and recognisable nationally, but is also flexible, accessible and genuinely useful at a local level. That’s exactly the kind of brief we love – getting under the skin of an organisation, combining insight and strategy with creativity, and turning that thinking into something that works in the real world.”
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