We’ve worked closely with Doctors Without Borders (Læger Uden Grænser – MSF) in Denmark to revitalize their brand, sharpen their purpose, and create a stronger, more engaging identity. We’re proud to present some of our work – a renewed Doctors Without Borders brand that speaks more clearly, connects more deeply, and stands stronger in the face of global crises.
Sharper purpose guides the brand
At the core of MSF’s new brand identity is a refined and rearticulated purpose: “We provide emergency medical aid to everyone and speak out against injustice when it benefits the lives of our patients.”
MSF was founded in 1971 not just by doctors, but also by journalists—because medical aid and bearing witness go hand in hand. Over time, the humanitarian aspect of providing emergency care remained at the forefront, but the role of MSF as a voice against injustice had faded in Denmark. This new purpose brings advocacy back as a central pillar of the brand.
Revitalized brand expression
A strong purpose needs an equally strong visual and communicative foundation. That’s why we worked with MSF to develop a new visual identity and storytelling framework that translates their mission into a compelling, contemporary brand experience.
The logo is continuing to be a vital part of the identity, guaranteeing the safety of staff around the world as different parties recognize Doctors Without Borders. But the brand expression around it has been updated to a more direct, relevant and contemporary expression.
New visual identity
We created a dynamic and bold new brand expression, using a red blinking circle to symbolize urgency and testimony. The scribble style embedded in the logo – a symbol of humanity – was animated as a secondary signature, bringing a new ident to digital and print materials.
More than a brand—an identity to live by
Branding is not just about how an organization looks or communicates—it’s about how it acts. To ensure that MSF’s new identity is embedded in daily practice, we’ve also developed a brand book. This inspirational guide provides MSF staff, volunteers, and partners with the tools they need to live the brand, understand its history and values, and communicate its mission clearly.
Editorial development
In Denmark the magazine from Doctors Without Borders is called “Journalen” – The Journal. It tells the stories of places and the work that MSF does and what the staff sees in areas of conflict and suffering around the world. Many of them as seen by staff from Denmark.
We redesigned the magazine to a more contemporary look and feel with a simpler, more “no nonsense” tonality. The bold type, colour, new curation of photography and the subtle “scribble” brand signature in the lower right-hand corner instead of the brand logo creates a completely new and crisp brand story, worlds apart from earlier versions of the magazine.
Digital transformation
The digital design, the online presence and expression is important to any brand. But for a brand that relies on raising awareness and funds it’s crucial.
We completely redesigned all interfaces, typography, buttons, infographics to lift the expression of the brand. Then we developed visual guidelines for the transactional experience in order to make it an efficient driver of funding and a natural step in the experiential journey of donors.
Storytelling through short documentaries
Two short films bring Doctors Without Border’s work to life. One of our short films follows Maria, a Danish nurse onboard the MSF train in Ukraine, providing critical care while transporting patients across the country from the front in the east to safer places in the west. Maria shows us around and gives us her story as she is witnessing the human cost of war. The short version is 50 seconds and was used in the campaign on Danish TV2. The short documentary is about 3:15. You can see it in the case on our website.
The other documentary that we produced tells the story of Peter, a Danish surgeon who has been working at the MSF hospital in Mosul, Iraq, who is mentoring local doctors to restore mobility to war victims. One of his stories is about a young boy who is close to lose his leg but is saved by the treatment given by the local team under Peter’s supervision. The 4-minute film with Peter and the boy Shaher is also available on our website.
Nationwide campaign
To implement the new brand and show how the new purpose and design as well as the communications strategy can be used hands on, we developed and produced new campaigns that were implemented nationally.
The visual language and the messaging is using the same tonality, identity and visual expression so that they work nicely together. They are easily recognizable, direct, true to what is going on and told by the staff who are the eye witnesses on the ground.
A series of bold, impactful campaigns have been launched across TV, print, and social media. Ads in the daily national newspaper Politiken, stories on Instagram, videos on YouTube and 50-second TV commercials on Danish TV2 are just some of the channels that have been used ensure that MSF’s message reaches a wide audience across Denmark.
Full page ad in Politiken with the story about the surgeon Peter, who as been working at the MSF hospital in Mosul, Iraq. His story was also well adapted into social media stories with images, video and bold statements.
A brand for the future
With this transformation, Doctors Without Borders in Denmark is better positioned than ever to engage supporters, inspire action, and stand as both a medical aid organization and a voice against injustice.
The organization now has both a new starting point for working with strategic development, communication and campaigns, but also a range of tools to guide the everyday work in terms of messaging, design, digital development and storytelling as well as a playbook on how to further develop new documentary films that will involve both sides of the MSF purpose in an authentic way. We’re proud to have been part of this journey, and we can’t wait to see how the new brand strengthens MSF’s impact in the years ahead.
You can also see the full case on our website or the blog post about the process of developing the Doctors Without Borders dual purpose.
Transform your brand
Would you like to know how we can support the development of your NGO, fund raiser or organization? Meet us for a cup of coffee and we will give you our honest opinion on the possibilities for strengthening your strategic positioning, brand, communications, and campaigns.
Give us a call or write an email to Nikolaj Stagis. We can help you develop a clear purpose and strategic direction, transform your brand digitally and communicate your strengths.
